Uminari Wasteland
by nissanity
Summary: After humanity is brought to desolation, survival becomes more than just living - - it is risking everything to save that which was once thought lost forever. TeanaXSubaru, NanoFate
1. Chapter 1 - What is Left Will Walk Again

**A/N: Haru-chi **mentioned that a TeanaXSubaru centered story could be interesting, so here we go! I'll try to keep the gore to a minimum in this, and instead try to focus more on the interactions between the characters in this apocalyptic world I've place them in. NanoFate will also be present as always :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

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******UMINARI WASTELAND**

by : ~Nissanity~

**__****Prologue**

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_~Flashback, 3 months prior~_

"_...and recent reports of influenza compounded with the rabies virus has created a health scare that has caught the attention of world leaders..._"

Teana hummed to herself as she stood sipping her coffee in her living room. She was warily watching the morning news report as the latest health scare warnings flashed across her screen. The word 'rabies' struck a nerve deep within her, though . She was reminded of her times spent on missions in the poorest parts of Asia, when she watched countless animals and humans die from the horrific and fatal virus. It was also the disease that changed her life as she knew.

"_...authorities recommend that if you see anyone with these symptoms, do not try to assist them. Instead call local law enforcement..._"

"Ah, damnit! Which symptoms did she say?" she yelled at the television. She picked up the remote to rewind the DVR ten seconds back.

"_...severe aggression, inability to feel pain, foaming at the mouth..._"

"Ugh, disgusting," she groaned. She turned away from the television to face the kitchen and smelled death now approaching her screened-in window by the couch. She heard clanging on the stairs next as something began to clamber up them. The sound of moaning drifted up the stairwell soon after.

Teana calmly brushed her burnt orange bangs away from her face and walked to her kitchen. She slid open the far right drawer of the kitchen counter to retrieve her 9mm with it's silencer already attached. She closed the drawer quietly and made her way to the open window to look outside. A bloodied teenage boy with several broken limbs was now stumbling around on the balcony outside of her apartment door. She recognized an emptiness to his eyes that she had seen before in the past, when the rabies virus had completely consumed someone and was about to claim another life.

The sound of the television still playing inside her apartment drew the boy's attention. He made his way to the open window, and when he saw Teana studying him from inside he let out a wail and started flailing himself against it to attack her. She took one last sip of her coffee and set the mug down before raising her pistol to aim between his eyes.

"_...I repeat, do not use deadly force against these individuals. Call the police if you see..._"

Teana laughed a little to herself. "Yeah, right..." she muttered and pulled the trigger.

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**oOOOo**

**UMINARI WASTELAND**

**CHAPTER 1 – _What is Left Will Walk Again_**

_~Present Day~_

The smell of death. It was an obscene, sickening hell that burned your nose and made your eyes water. It was something you never got used to, nor could erase from your memory completely once you were engrossed in it. Fighting in it. Living in it.

She heard the sound of the rooftop door open and close behind her quietly. When she turned her head slightly from her position against the edge of the roof, she felt assured the person behind her was not about to attack. Feeling confident in her safety, she refocused her vision through the scope of her marksman rifle again.

"Wow, who pissed them off?" a voice beside her asked as they came to stand beside her near the ledge.

"I don't know," Teana replied as she shot another zombie in the head. "I came up here after whoever it was went into the store."

"How did you know I wasn't one of them, by the way?" Fate asked. She pointed down to the group of zombies who were all aggressively attacking the front door of a small grocery store across the street. She was casually eating a small bag of chips as she spoke.

"I knew you weren't one because you didn't smell like death," Teana said as pulled the trigger again.

"I could have been freshly turned, though? I wouldn't smell like them."

"They _always_ smell like death, Fate." She concentrated on taking out the last five on the street before she spoke to her again. "You shouldn't go downstairs without me, you know?"

She shrugged. "It was safe. We took all the necessary precautions this time."

"So what do you want to do about this?" Teana then asked her.

"What do you mean?"

She extended the rifle to point to the store below. "That's _our_ store. Someone could be inside taking all of our stuff as we speak. There's still a lot of beef jerky I want in there."

"That is a problem," Fate acknowledged. "I really don't want to get shot again, though."

"If they ended up being chased in there like that, I highly doubt they are armed. At least not to where it's dangerous for us."

Fate looked down at the street again to assess the situation. She then held out the chip bag towards Teana. "Here, trade me. One more just showed up."

Teana rolled her eyes a little but passed Fate the rifle in exchange for the bag. She pulled out a chip and studied it while Fate took aim at the zombie on the street below.

"Where these still fresh?" Teana asked her.

"They weren't too bad," she replied. "Not for being three months old, at least."

Teana put the chip back in the bag. "I'm not really hungry anyway. It smells out here. It kills my appetite."

Fate exhaled and pulled the trigger on the rifle. Teana watched the zombie's head explode half a second later. It slowly crumpled in a heap beside a few others that had previously been taken out.

"The smell is only going to get worse," Fate said as she swapped the gun for the bag again.

"So, should we go through the building or down the fire escape?"

Fate pointed to the rooftop door. "Through the building. I need to pick up the rest of my weapons before we head out."

"Sounds good." Teana leaned the rifle against her shoulder and picked up the box of extra ammunition from the roof's edge. Fate held the door open for her to let her go first to take her usual position as lead. They walked quietly down the stairs and listened intently to make sure none of the undead had made it inside their building.

Teana gave a thumbs up to Fate behind her that the coast was clear. They rounded the corner from the stairwell and into the hallway, creeping silently along the wall with both their weapons drawn in opposite directions. The door to the apartment was unlocked as always, and they reentered it and quietly shut the door behind them. Fate secured it with a large piece of wood they used to keep the door from being broken down easily.

"I wonder when's the last time we've even seen another human?" Teana mentioned as Fate began to collect the pistols and ammunition from the table.

"I wouldn't know, honestly."

"Hopefully none of these people are bit. Mercy killings are the worst."

"We will just have to see how it goes," Fate said as she strapped a leg holster to her thigh. She slid the magazine out of a pistol and checked the ammunition before clicking it back into place. She put a shoulder holster on next and repeated the process with that pistol as well.

"You ready?" Teana asked when she was done.

Fate grinned. "Yep! Let's try not to die doing this, shall we?"

"Always the optimist," Teana replied. They both carefully removed the wood securing the front door again and cracked it open to peak outside. The two had been successful in keeping any zombies from entering into the building for the week they had been staying there, but they were always vigilant in case that had changed at some point.

Fate removed her pistol from her shoulder holster and held it by her side as she guarded the rear. Every weapon they used had silencers attached to dissipate some of their noise. Loud, unsuppressed gunshots could draw in swarms of the undead from even a mile away.

Teana took the lead down the hallway, crouching along the walls and peeking around the corners to make sure their path was clear in front of them. She leveled the rifle after every turn down flights of stairs and through new hallways, and lowered it only when she was sure there was no threat in their vicinity.

When they reached the double doors at the front entrance of the building, they slowly removed the wood they had used to secure them as well. They both pressed their ears to the door to listen for any moans or growls that would signal an aggressor on the other side. When they heard nothing, Teana cautiously opened the door to look outside.

The street still appeared deserted from her vantage point, so she pulled open the door and exited onto the sidewalk with Fate following close behind. They walked steadily across the street towards the grocery store with their weapons now pointed in both directions. Teana was first to reach the side window in the alleyway they had previously left unsecured. She slid it open before ducking underneath to listen for movement inside. Fate glanced inside the window quickly and then leaned against the wall again. Giving the signal that it was okay to enter, they both climbed inside and secured the window behind them.

"Did you see anybody?" Teana whispered.

"No," Fate replied quietly. "If they are in here, they are probably in the back."

"Why didn't they lock it behind them, I wonder?"

"They probably panicked."

Teana glanced over to her right and saw that the beef jerky she had dibs on was still intact on the shelf. She motioned for Fate to follow behind her through the middle aisle. They crept quietly through the store towards the back hallway where the office and restrooms were.

When they approached the closed door to the office, Teana heard what she thought was muffled crying coming from within. She reached down to the door handle, but just before she could turn it the door swung open. She then found herself with a pistol pointed straight at her head.

"Put your weapon _down_," Fate growled at the person wielding the gun. "If you kill her, then I will kill you."

The blue-haired girl immediately dropped her gun to her side. "Oh, thank god!" she cried. "I thought you were one of them!"

Teana and Fate did not lower their weapons. "What are you doing in here? This is our store," Teana said through clenched teeth.

"We were being chased. We found an open window on the side and jumped inside," the girl replied and pointed towards the front of the store.

"We? Who else is with you?" Fate asked.

The girl stepped away from the door so that Teana and Fate could see her companions. The windowless office was pitch black inside, so Teana turned on the flashlight on her scope and pointed it into the room. The light bounced across the walls until she discovered a woman and a young girl huddled in the corner.

Fate immediately lowered her gun at the sight of them. "Who are you guys?" she asked.

"I'm Subaru," the blue-haired girl replied. "She's Nanoha, and the little girl is Vivio."

"Can they come outside of the office, please?" Fate then requested.

Teana turned off the flashlight and lowered her weapon. Stepping back, she turned to scan the store to ensure no unwanted visitors had noticed them from outside. To her relief, the street in front of the store remained empty. She walked away from the office area to begin collecting supplies, while Fate stayed behind to talk to the strangers.

"Are you guys okay?" she heard her ask.

"Um-hmm," the woman named Nanoha replied, but the little girl suddenly began to cry again. Teana glanced back and watched Nanoha hug the girl close to muffle her cries against her shoulder. "Shhh, Vivio. It's okay," she said as she rocked her back and forth.

Teana was concentrating on gathering provisions, including all of the beef jerky she could stuff into her cargo pockets, when a voice from behind startled her.

"Thank you, by the way," Subaru said, causing Teana to flinch. She whipped around to see the girl grinning broadly at her.

"Yeah, right..." Teana muttered and turned to the shelf in front of her again.

"What's your name?"

Teana groaned a little, now realizing the girl probably wasn't going to be leaving her alone anytime soon. "It's Teana. She's Fate, by the way. Before you ask."

"Is she hungry?" Fate asked Nanoha from the next aisle over. Nanoha asked Vivio if she was and received a nod in response.

"How do you two know each other?" Subaru then asked.

"We were in the Marines together. And we've been together since the first day this all started."

"Together, huh?" Subaru repeated. "That's nice. You guys are cute together."

Teana slammed her fist against the shelf. "Are you fucking joking?! Do you really think any of us have time for that kind of shit right now?"

Subaru held up her hands defensively. "God, sorry! I was just making conversation is all. Really, I'll just leave you alone." She turned to leave the aisle and head back to where the others were standing as Teana watched her walk away.

"Ugh, wait," she then said to stop her. "Just... come back here."

Subaru returned to her side again. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry," Teana said reluctantly. "Look, Fate and I give each other what is necessary to get through all of this. Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

"No problem. I won't ask any more questions about it."

Teana glanced up again at the other aisle. She watched Fate pick up a package of chocolate donuts and hold it up in the air, to which Nanoha shook her head and mouthed 'no' in response. Fate placed the package back on the shelf and continued searching for something else for Vivio to eat.

"Are you with that Nanoha woman?" Teana then asked.

Subaru shook her head. "Nope. She was married before this. She lost her husband in the beginning. I don't think she's really into girls, honestly."

Teana watched Nanoha's eyes look Fate up and down repeatedly while the blond continued to search the shelves. Fate was dressed in a tight black muscle shirt and cargo pants that complimented her slim and muscular build well, with various tattoos adorning her arms and back. It was hard to argue her attractiveness, even in the middle of the hellhole they were currently living in.

"Maybe she's just not into you?" Teana mentioned.

"Wow, that was pretty harsh!" she replied and looked over to Nanoha as well. She then noticed the way she was looking Fate over in front of her. "Ah... I see."

"Does that upset you?" Teana asked.

"No," Subaru answered casually. "I actually don't even know her that well. Maybe a week? The rest of our group was killed a few days ago."

Teana hummed. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

Subaru paused. "Does that upset you?"

"What, them being killed?" Teana asked. "No, I didn't know them."

"No, the way Nanoha is already looking at her?"

Teana shook her head and laughed a little. "It's not _me_ you would need to be worried about getting upset in that situation."

"I don't understand what - ?" Subaru began.

"Hey, Teana! Are you about ready to go?" Fate called from the next aisle over.

"Yep," she replied and turned away from Subaru. She picked up her rifle that was leaning against the shelf and began walking to the window with Fate close behind her.

"Wait, you're just going to leave?" Nanoha asked them.

"Can't stay here too long. Too much visibility," Fate replied.

Nanoha held Vivio closer to her. "Well, yeah but... Can't we go with you?"

Fate opened up the window to look outside to the street and then shut it again. "Not my decision," she said as she retrieved her pistol from its holster. Subaru and Nanoha both looked to Teana next.

"The child will just slow us down," Teana told the two. "I'm sorry, but you will have to find someone else to team up with."

Subaru came to block her path before she could reach the window. "That's pretty heartless, Teana."

"We've already saved you once. I think we have been more than generous," she replied coldly.

Teana was allowed to pass with Subaru only staring at her in disappointment. Nanoha closed her eyes and turned away to head back into the office with Vivio while they prepared to leave.

"She's a researcher, you know?" Subaru then said to them. Teana and Fate both turned around to look at Subaru in surprise. "That's why everyone has been doing everything possible to keep her alive. She might be able to fix this."

"Is that true?" Teana asked Nanoha, who still had her back to them. "Or is she just lying so that you can come with us?"

"Mama, why is everyone angry at us now?" Vivio asked over her mother's shoulder when she saw the three women staring at them.

"Nobody is angry at us, sweetie," her mother replied. "We just can't go with them is all."

Vivio pulled back to look at her. She began to play with the strings of Nanoha's hooded sweatshirt. "But why not? I like Fate."

Fate glanced over at her partner and gave her a questioning look. Teana gritted her teeth and turned her vision to the ground. "Alright, you can come with us. But if we find out Nanoha isn't who she says she is - - it's over."

Nanoha turned around to face them again. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "What do you say, Vivio?"

The little girl spun around in her mother's arms to face forward, but suddenly became bashful. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You are going to do exactly what we tell you to, though," Teana told them. "When we walk outside, I will be in the lead and Fate will follow behind. You three stay in the middle and don't make a sound."

"Got it," Subaru said seriously.

"Vivio?" Nanoha began. "I need you to be brave for me, okay? And no matter what happens, don't say anything. We are going to play the quiet game now."

Vivio nodded earnestly. "Okay! I'm good at the quiet game, Mama."

"Yes, you're very good at it. So we are going to start... now!" Nanoha reached her hand up and pretended to zip Vivio's lips shut. She then moved her hand to her own mouth to repeat the gesture.

Teana slid the window open again and looked outside one more time. She first assisted Vivio out of the window with Nanoha close behind her. Subaru exited next with Fate being the last out. She closed the window quietly and proceeded to walk out of the alleyway with everyone else into the street.

The five walked slowly across with Teana pointing her weapon down the right of the street and Fate pointing hers to the left. They were about halfway across when Teana heard a moan come from the corner of a nearby building. She held her hand up, signaling them all to stop moving. She waited until the zombie made it's appearance by stumbling into the street from an alleyway. It groaned louder as it began to walk towards them.

"Shit..." Teana muttered under her breath when the zombie recognized that they were uninfected and began to run in their direction. It let out a piercing wail and bit at the air wildly as it started to gain speed. Teana steadied her aim in the scope and squeezed the trigger of her rifle, sending the bullet directly into its forehead. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it crumple to the ground.

"See anymore?" Teana asked the group quietly.

Subaru pointed to a nearby rooftop. "Right there," she whispered. Teana looked up and saw another zombie now noticing their presence as well. It began to scream and wailing frantically at them from its perch on the ledge. Movement all around them could now be heard in the alleyways as the undead began to stir at the noise.

Teana raised her rifle and shot the screaming zombie in the head to quiet it. It staggered at first and then fell off the rooftop towards the street, landing with a loud crash onto the windshield of a nearby car. The security alarm was immediately triggered, and the echos of the siren began to fill the streets all around them.

"Oh, fuck!" Teana shouted and started running to the building in front of her. She glanced behind her to see that everyone was still close behind.

"Inside or outside?" Fate asked as the sound of screams and wails began to reign down all around them. It took only seconds for the first of the undead to make their appearance from the alleyways, being lured there with the sound of the alarm and now beginning to chase after their retreating figures.

"Fire escape!" Teana decided when she realized their entry into building was going to be cut off by a few of the infected. She ran into the alleyway and jumped up to pull the sliding ladder down to access their escape route. Fate expertly took out the first zombies that were starting to get closer to them on the street.

Teana was the first to climb up two stairs at a time. "Hurry up!" she yelled as she reached down for Vivio on the first landing. Nanoha climbed up the ladder next with Subaru only two rungs behind her.

Fate, realizing she wouldn't be able to get up the ladder in time, climbed onto the dumpster next to the fire escape and began shooting at the hoard that were now only feet away from them. Once they were crowded around her feet, she jumped up from the dumpster and onto the railing. She was about to pull herself over the top rail when she felt a hand grasp her ankle to start pulling her down towards the street again. She struggled to get it off, eventually using her other boot to kick the attacker in the face to get it to release her.

Subaru was climbing up the first flight of stairs as Fate made it over the railing and fell onto the first landing. She continuously fired shots down the ladder at the hoard now trying to climb up it. More zombies started jumping up to hang onto the steel base, and as Fate made it to the second landing the group felt the entire fire escape move as it started to come away from the building.

Nanoha nearly lost her balance and toppled over with Vivio when the shift occurred, but Subaru caught them both and kept them on their feet. Teana was first to the rooftop and turned to grab Vivio again. She placed her hands under her armpits as Nanoha raised the girl above her head. Teana set her down next to her on the roof once she had cleared the ledge.

"Come on, Nanoha!" she yelled next and held her hand down to her. Nanoha wrapped her hand around Teana's wrist and jumped up. She planted her foot against the brick wall for leverage as she was assisted up onto the roof.

Subaru reached up for help next, but the fire escape shifted down again with the weight now pulling it further away from the wall. Fate was positioned on the second landing, still trying to shoot off as many zombies as possible.

Teana and Nanoha both held out their hands to Subaru. "Use the rail!" Teana told her. Subaru jumped up and placed her feet onto what used to be the top railing to propel herself upwards. She grabbed the ledge of the roof in her hands while Teana and Nanoha both grabbed near her shoulders to help her up.

"Go make sure the rooftop door is secured, Subaru!" Teana shouted once she was safe. Subaru ran across the roof and first ensured that the door was locked. She then began searching around the roof for heavy objects to set in front of it.

"Fate-chan, please hurry!" Nanoha called out. Fate looked up to the ledge and ran up the last flight of stairs when she saw it was her turn. She placed her weapons back in their holsters in preparation of the jump as Nanoha and Teana reached down to her. The fire escape shifted one last time and started to fall away from the building completely. She stepped onto the top rail and pushed herself off of it during its decent, all while reaching for their outstretched hands at the same time.

"We've got you!" Teana assured her once she felt Fate grab her around the wrist. Nanoha concentrated all her strength on making sure she didn't let to go of her grip on the blond. Fate used the wall as leverage for her feet to climb up while Teana and Nanoha pulled on her arms. The heavy tangled steel fell onto the hoard of zombies below.

"That... sucked..." Teana gasped as the three collapsed on the roof next to each other. Vivio ran up to them and jumped onto Fate, eliciting a small grunt from her.

"Are you okay, Vivio?" Fate asked as she sat up with the little girl still clinging to her around the neck. Vivio pulled back to face her and nodded happily.

Fate hummed a little."You really weren't scared?" Vivio said nothing in response to her next question, only frowning and puffing out her cheeks as an answer instead.

Nanoha sat up beside Fate. "You have to unzip her lips," she told her.

"Ah, I see," Fate replied. She reached her hand up to pull open the pretend zipper across Vivio's mouth.

"I'm not scared when you're around, Fate!" the girl exclaimed and hugged her again.

Subaru came up to the group. "I think I heard some movement coming up the stairs. We need to get off of this roof."

Teana groaned. "Fuck. I really liked that apartment, too," she grumbled.

"I'll get the boards," Fate said as she stood up. "Want to give me a hand, Subaru?"

The two walked over to the edge of the roof where Teana and Fate had previously placed long pieces of wood against the ledge. They worked as a team to stretch the first one across the span between their roof and the one next door. Vivio was standing close by, watching Fate work intently.

"Thank you for helping us, Teana," Nanoha mentioned as they both looked on at them.

"Uh-huh," Teana replied distantly.

"You know, if this is a problem we can just leave?" she then added a bit more heatedly. "We aren't going to hang around where we aren't wanted."

Teana turned to face her. "Let me make one thing clear, Nanoha. I will not be wasting energy forming emotional attachments to people who are probably going to die anyway. I suggest you don't bother doing so with Fate or me, either. This is strictly a business arrangement between us."

"Fine, whatever you want," Nanoha replied and threw up her hands in the air. She walked away from Teana to join the group on the other side of the roof instead.

Teana retrieved a duffel bag full of ammunition and extra weapons that she and Fate had stashed in one of the corners of the roof, in case of a situation like the one they were currently in. Fate and Subaru had just finished placing the second board across the span of the two rooftops when Teana met up with everyone again.

"Ready to cross?" Fate asked Nanoha first.

"I guess," Nanoha replied warily. "Got any advice? Don't look down, maybe?"

"W-Well, no... You should look down at where you are walking?" Fate answered with a bit of confusion.

Nanoha laughed and reached down to pick up her daughter. "Okay, I got it. Vivio, I want you to close your eyes and be perfectly still, okay?"

"Okay, Mama," she replied.

"Wait, I'll go first," Subaru then volunteered and grabbed the duffel bag from Teana. "In case the boards don't hold."

"Thanks, Subaru. I appreciate that," Nanoha said.

Loud banging suddenly starting coming from the rooftop door behind them. "Well, somebody fucking go! We're out of time here!" Teana yelled.

"Oh, right!" Subaru stepped gingerly onto the first board to test it out. She then put her foot on the other board. Feeling comfortable with their strength, she walked across the boards as quickly as she could while still keeping her balance. She jumped down onto the nearby rooftop and turned to hold the boards steady for the others.

Nanoha held Vivio close as she walked across them next, with the banging on the door behind them now increasing. Teana pointed her rifle at it in anticipation of it bursting open at any second.

"You go first, Fate!" Teana yelled as she watched the door begin to crack open.

"Alright, I'll cover you after!" she replied. As Fate started to run across the boards, the rooftop door opened fully. Several of the hoard poured out and started sprinting towards Teana once they saw her. She began firing at the zombies while walking backwards, doing her best to steady her aim while moving.

"Teana, go!" Fate yelled as soon as she reached the other side. Teana felt a hand grab her on the shoulder as she turned to run, but Fate shot the attacker in the head in the very same instant. As she ran across, she felt the wood begin to move under her feet as the hoard followed her out onto them. Fate took each of them out before they could cross, but the bodies piling up on them caused the boards to shift across the edge of the roof.

Subaru stood near the ledge with her hand outstretched. "I'll make sure you don't fall!" she told Teana. One of the boards suddenly gave away completely under her feet. Teana clung to the remaining one to keep from falling into the alleyway below, but she somehow managed to hold on to her rifle in one hand. She regained her balance and ran the last few feet, grabbing Subaru's hand right before the other board fell away as well.

Both women lost their balance completely as she stumbled onto the rooftop, sending them crashing to the ground with Teana landing on top of her. She pulled away to hover over her and was met by a huge grin.

"You made it!" Subaru said happily.

Teana growled lowly and rolled back onto her feet. She grabbed the front of Subaru's shirt in her hands and helped her stand back at the same time she did.

"I just _barely_ made it," Teana told her.

"Yeah, but you still did!"

Teana looked across the alleyway to the next rooftop now swarming with the undead. "How well can you shoot, Subaru?" she asked.

"Not at all, honestly."

Teana walked to the duffel bag and retrieved one of the extra pistols inside and a box of ammunition. She returned and placed them both in Subaru's hands. "Well, you're going to learn. You too, Nanoha."

"Aren't you worried about wasting ammunition?" Nanoha asked.

Teana pointed to a separate duffel bag in the corner of the new rooftop, which had been stashed there previously as well. "We're fine," she assured her. "You guys need to practice."

Fate walked over with a weapon for Nanoha next. "I've never fired a gun before," Nanoha told her.

"Can I have one too, Mama?" Vivio asked as she pulled on her pant leg.

"Well, I don't see why - ?" Fate began to say before Nanoha quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"NO, Vivio," Nanoha told her daughter. "You are never to touch a gun. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama..." Vivio reluctantly replied.

Nanoha then laughed a little and pulled her hand away. "She's four years old, Fate-chan! What's up with you?"

"I don't know much about kids," Fate replied with a shrug.

"Just aim for their heads," Teana instructed Subaru as she began to take aim at the other rooftop. "Body shots only slow them down. Work on accuracy first before speed."

"Got it," Subaru replied. "One eye closed or no?"

"It's up to you. I always keep both open, but it may not be what works best for you."

Fate came to stand directly behind Nanoha next, pressing her body against her back as she helped her aim the weapon. Nanoha's eyes grew wide at the unexpected action and she couldn't help but blush a little. She glanced over her shoulder at her, but Fate did not seem to register the reaction.

"What?" she eventually asked as Nanoha continued to stare back at her.

"N-Nothing," Nanoha stammered. She returned her vision to the rooftop next to them and tried to steady her breathing as she took aim.

"Don't be nervous," Fate said softly next to her ear. Nanoha dropped the weapon to rest in front of her in slight frustration as a wave of goosebumps raised across her arms and neck.

"Fate! Give her some space, man," Teana told her as she looked over at them.

"Oh, right!" Fate replied and immediately backed away from Nanoha. She then turned her attention to the little girl. "Vivio, how are you doing?"

Vivio rubbed her eyes. "I'm sleepy."

Fate picked her up in her arms. "Alright. Let's go find a place to rest over there while your mom practices, okay?"

"Okay!" she replied happily.

Nanoha watched them walk away at first and then shook her head. "Really, what is with her?" she asked herself quietly.

Subaru glanced over at Nanoha, who had now raised her weapon again to fire at the hoard across the alleyway. The recoil surprised her at first, but after a few shots she seemed to anticipate it better.

"So, what is it with Fate?" Subaru asked Teana.

Teana tapped Subaru's raised weapon with her finger. "Don't worry about that. Just focus on getting better. I've got to go make sure our equipment is ready for the morning."

"What happens in the morning?" Subaru asked.

"We figure out where Nanoha is supposed to go to fix this."

Subaru lowered the weapon. "And where is that at exactly?"

"I have no fucking clue," Teana replied. "But I do know one thing for sure - - it sure as hell isn't up here on this roof."

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**A/N:** First chapter down! See you next time ~Nissanity~


	2. Chapter 2 - Meals on Wheels

**A/N: **First, to** davion - - **thank you for your recent review. You have always been incredibly perceptive as I attempt to evolve as a writer. I've been trying to be more descriptive with the characters and their surroundings in this story, since there are so many visuals and other sensations that would be occurring in this type of environment. I'm not sure I could write a story with a plot that revolved mostly around Nanoha and Fate's relationship, where the main focus is whether they will get together or not. It's not that those stories are bad, of course! But I enjoy throwing the characters into odd scenarios to explore their reactions to it, and how they might interact with each other in them. If I can manage to complete at least two of my older stories, I might attempt to write a horror one next (it does sound like a good challenge!)

To the other reviewers, thank you for reading this story! I love zombie movies and books too, so feel free to make suggestions of your favorites like some of you have already done. I will definitely check out anything I haven't seen yet :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******UMINARI WASTELAND**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 2 – ****__****Meals on Wheels**

* * *

_~Flashback, 3 months prior~_

"_We don't know what is going on yet, honestly,_" the commander said through the speakers of Teana's SUV.

"Are there_ any_ orders that have come across yet, Hayate?" Teana then asked as she drove further into the city. To her left, traffic was at a standstill as everyone was attempting to leave town in the opposite direction.

"_Everyone is still on standby for now. A lot of people are scrambling to figure out just what this is exactly._"

Teana sighed. "Alright. I'm going to go see Fate then. I want to make sure she is still okay."

"_Tell her I said... - Teana, I'd better go. It sounds like something is happening here_," Hayate added quickly. Teana heard loud bangs and screams now coming across her speakers. She pushed the button on her on-board navigation system to end the call.

"Good luck, Hayate," she said as she continued to drive. She had decided to travel on the freeway for most of the journey across town to see Fate. When she had climbed into her SUV shortly after putting a bullet in the brain of the kid outside her apartment, she heard screams of panic beginning to ring out all around her.

As she pulled out onto one of the main streets, most of the people were running and screaming while others chased them on the sidewalks. A few of the uninfected tried to make entry into Teana's locked vehicle, but a casual point of her gun at them would stop their attempts immediately.

She was about halfway to her destination when she saw an airliner flying unusually low ahead of her. She watched it continue to descend at a rapid pace, and after it had passed directly over her SUV on the freeway she watched it bank sharply to the left. It then dove nose-first into a building and exploded on impact.

"How the fuck did they get into a plane?!" she shouted as debris started crashing down around her. A piece of the landing gear fell directly in front of her SUV. She swerved right to narrowly miss it, only to have to immediately swerve back to the left to avoid running into a parked car on the shoulder.

The radio finally transmitted a message that was laced with static and was intermittently cutting out. Teana turned up the volume as she swerved around more burning objects crashing down in front of her.

"_...warning... stay indoors... be safe... keep away from windows and doors..._"

"Might as we die in your home, I guess," Teana muttered as continuously looked out all of her windows for more falling debris. "Better than out here."

It wasn't until she had pulled into the parking lot of her destination that she felt any sense of relief. The white building in front of her was still pristine without any of the ensuing chaos affecting it just yet. She quickly pushed open the driver's door and ran into the lobby.

"Ah, Teana! Here to see Fate?" the receptionist greeted.

"Yes, is she still alright?" Teana asked.

"Of course! Everything is still fine here. What's going on out there, though? Is it as crazy as they say?"

Teana shook her head. "It's worse. You need to arm yourself immediately and get out of here," she said seriously.

"Arm myself?" the receptionist replied with a laugh. "Honey, I haven't touch a gun in my life!"

"Hmmm... Well, good luck then. I'll see you around."

Teana quickly left the lobby and headed up towards Fate's room on the third floor. She opted to take the emergency stairwell, knowing that the elevator could be a deathtrap at this point. She reached behind her back to ensure her pistol was still tucked into the waistband of her pants as she climbed up the stairs two at a time.

When she reached the doorway that lead to the third floor, she withdrew her gun and cracked the door open to ensure the hallway was clear. She heard no screams or panic just yet, so she pushed open the door and made sure to shut it quietly behind her. She ran down the dimly lit hallway that always reminded her of a nursing home, remaining vigilant for any changes around her. When she reached her intended doorway, she read the sign on the wall beside it one last time.

"_Institute for Mental Health Research, Room 306 - - Harlaown, F. T._"

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

Teana blinked a few times as she woke to the early morning tranquility. The sun was just starting to rise above the horizon as she looked across the rooftop to assess where everyone else was sleeping. Subaru was on her side with her head resting on one of the duffel bags near her. Her hand was still gripping the pistol she had practiced with most of the night.

Further down, Fate was leaned against a wall that housed an air-conditioning unit with Vivio curled up against her in her lap. Nanoha was using her sweater as a pillow as she lay beside the two on the roof.

Teana then looked across the alleyway towards their previous rooftop. A few of the undead were stumbling around aimlessly on it now, having made it to the top at some point in the night while they slept. She pulled out the pistol holstered on her leg and took them all out methodically.

"Do you always start this early?" Subaru asked her with one eye open. Her head was still laying on the duffel bag as she looked over at her.

"It never ends," she replied. "We only get occasional breaks from it is all."

"So, what's the plan now?" Subaru then asked as she turned onto her back and closed her eyes again.

"Everyone eats and uses the restroom, and then we take out every zombie we see before heading out."

Subaru hummed a little. "Do you know where we are going yet?"

"No, not yet. But someone up here might?"

Teana stood up and crossed the roof to approach Fate's group. As she came closer, Nanoha awoke to the sound of her footsteps in a panic and tried to scoot away. When she realized it was just Teana, she relaxed a little.

"Shit, you scared me!" Nanoha gasped as she glanced around the roof before looking up at her again. "What's going on, Teana?"

"We need to go before it gets too hot out. You may want to take care of Vivio now while you can."

"Oh, okay." Nanoha reached over to touch her daughter on the arm. "Vivio, sweetie? You need to wake up now."

"Ummm..." the little girl moaned sleepily and curled up into Fate more.

"What's going on?" Fate muttered and looked around the roof before noticing the girl resting in her arms. "How did she get here?"

"She feel asleep on you like that, remember?" Nanoha said.

Fate paused and tried to recall the situation. "Not really...?" she finally replied.

Nanoha's face fell a little. "But you guys were sitting here talking for a long time last night?"

"Nanoha?" Teana interrupted. "Perhaps it's best if Vivio doesn't hear stuff like that?"

Nanoha glanced between Fate and Teana with a clouded expression. She then reached over once more to wake her daughter.

"Vivio? We're getting up now, okay?" she said. She lifted the girl out of Fate's arms as gently as she could and began to walk across the roof towards the area designated as the restroom.

"Do you remember who they are?" Teana asked Fate once they were out of earshot.

"Yeah. But the last thing I remember is leaving the store with them, though."

Teana laughed a little to herself. "Lucky you then, honestly."

Nanoha returned with Vivio still in her arms. "I'm sorry Fate-chan, but Vivio is asking for you. I usually don't spoil her like this, but she seems really adamant and I know we are in a hurry."

"It's okay. I don't mind," Fate replied.

Nanoha placed her daughter on the ground as Fate walked to her and held out her hand. Vivio smiled as she took it happily. Her eyes never left Fate as she skipped back to the other side of the roof with her.

"She really doesn't remember?" Nanoha asked when they were out of earshot.

"Probably not. I guess you've figured out by now that Fate has some things going on with her?" Teana replied.

Nanoha crossed her arms. "And what are those things exactly?"

"I really don't want to get into this right now. I think you've seen enough to understand it mostly. This is why I told you not to get too attached to her."

"It's not like I have much of a choice. Vivio adores her already. It would be nice to know what to tell her about Fate-chan."

Teana groaned loudly. "I don't know your daughter, or what she can or can't handle about her. What I do know is - - you claim to be a researcher and we are supposed to get you somewhere. That's our job here."

Nanoha took a deep breath to quell her frustration at Teana's lack of information about Fate. "There is a zoonosis research department inside that over there," she then said and pointed across the city towards the mountain range in the distance. Teana recalled that the base of it alone was about 50 miles from the outskirts of the city.

"You really expect us to get you all the way out there?"

"Well, no one else has been willing to help me get there so far. But that's where I would need to be."

"Are you sure anyone is even still out there?" Teana asked as she look towards the mountain skeptically.

"I have no idea," Nanoha replied honestly. "But it's the only place left I could go."

"What would you do there?"

"I helped develop a protocol that saved the eleven people who had contracting the original rabies virus," Nanoha said. "I'm hoping I can use that research to develop a vaccine for this new strain."

Teana paused for a moment. "Is this really the rabies virus?" she finally asked.

"A mutated form of it, yes. This is what happens when people and animals don't die from it, basically."

"Too bad there isn't anyone left to vaccinate, though..." Teana muttered.

Nanoha took a step forward in slight anger and frustration. "My _daughter_ is still left. That is a good enough reason for me."

Teana studied the woman's demeanor in front of her closely. "Hey, Nanoha...?" she began cautiously.

"What?!"

"When's the last time you've had anything to eat or drink?"

Nanoha threw her hands up in the air a little. "I don't know, Teana! Does it matter?"

"Hey, Subaru!" Teana suddenly called out across the roof. "Can you bring that duffel bag over here so that we can all get something to eat?"

Subaru sat up and looked back down at her temporary pillow. "No problem!" she answered.

"You know, I'm not looking for your charity or anything," Nanoha said as she turned back to Teana.

"And I'm not looking to die because you are too weak to keep up. Besides, if you only worry about Vivio and not yourself, the both of you will end up getting killed out here."

"It's not like you care what happens to us anyway," Nanoha replied coldly and started to walk away. Teana grasped her by the arm to stop her.

"What is exactly that you want me to say to you, Nanoha?"

"I want you tell me more about Fate-chan. Why she is the way she is."

"Man, this is bag is heavy!" Subaru mentioned as she walked across the roof. "Where did you get all this stuff anyway?"

Teana bent down to unzip the bag that Subaru had just placed at her feet. "While everyone was out looting for food and televisions in the beginning, we went for the guns instead. And now we take whatever we find as we go."

"So what should I do now?" Subaru asked.

Teana handed her a bottle of water and a couple granola bars. "Eat these and then start taking out all zombies you can see from up here. Make sure to check the alleyways."

Subaru gave a quick wave. "You got it," she said and jogged back to the edge of the roof.

Teana placed a a fruit cup, a box of juice, a bottle of water, and two bags of beef jerky in Nanoha's hands. "For you and Vivio," she said.

Nanoha took the food wordlessly and continued to stare at her expectantly. Teana finally grunted a little in defeat as she opened a bag of dried fruit for herself.

"How much did you know about the patients you developed that protocol for?" Teana asked.

"Well, we had to know everything?" Nanoha replied in a bit of confusion at the question. "Family history, relationships, careers, the way they lived, how they contracted - "

"But not their names?" Teana interrupted.

"No. We were given fake, generic names so that we wouldn't form more of an attachment to them. A lot of the patients died, quite honestly."

"I see. What about the 26 year-old marine who was bitten by a bat in her sleep? Remember that one?"

Nanoha paused while she recollected the case. "Yes...? She was the tenth one to live. It was about four months before this all happened."

Teana could see Fate starting to walk back with Vivio from the other side of the roof. "You said zombies are the result when people don't die from rabies. But there is another outcome, too."

A look of realization crossed Nanoha's features as she spun around to look behind her. "But what a minute? That would make you...?"

"That part is not up for discussion," Teana said firmly. She then bent down to the bag to get food for Fate as well.

Nanoha took a step towards her. "I'm sorry, Teana. I didn't know. I wouldn't - "

"Mama, Mama!" Vivio cried as she ran up to Nanoha to hug her around the waist. "Fate-mama said I could eat with her today!"

"Fate-mama?" Nanoha asked as she placed her hand on her daughter's head. "Where did you get that from?"

"I call her that now," Vivio replied. "She said it was okay!"

Nanoha glanced over apologetically to Teana, who wordlessly handed Fate her morning provisions and left the three to eat alone. She crossed the roof to stand next to Subaru instead.

"I heard all that," Subaru said between pulls of the trigger.

"Yeah, well... Now you guys know what happened to Fate. Mystery solved."

Subaru lowered the pistol. "That's not what I was talking about, Teana. I was talking about the other part."

"Why the hell does that matter now?" Teana asked as she retrieved another pistol from the second duffel bag near them.

"Because if you are with Fate, then Nanoha wouldn't try anything. She would respect that."

Teana raised her pistol and started shooting at the undead below as well. "We _were_ together. But she doesn't remember anything about our life together before she got sick. It's not the same between us anymore."

Subaru looked over at her out of the corner of her eye. "That doesn't mean you still don't love her, though?"

"Of course I still love her, you idiot! But she's not the Fate I used to know. And I'm not the same person anymore, either."

Subaru grinned a little. "Well, it's not like we have time for that sort of thing anyway, right?"

"Who would want to with how bad it smells everywhere?" Teana replied loudly. "It's disgusting!"

"Humans still have needs, Teana. No matter what situation they are in."

Teana sighed loudly. "I'm going to go get a bigger gun, Subaru. You just keep shooting."

**oOOOOo**

Fate leaned over to speak into Teana's ear from behind her. "So, where to next?" she asked.

Teana continued to scan the area below with her binoculars. "The warehouse store. That big ass one over there," she replied and pointed to a large building four blocks away.

Fate glanced behind them to the others across the roof. Nanoha and Subaru were continually firing shots into the street, while Vivio was singing to herself near the rooftop door that led to the stairwell inside. Teana and Fate had both noticed that Nanoha's aim was improving significantly the more she practiced.

"Nanoha could probably use a bigger gun," Fate mentioned.

Teana hummed in response. "Give her my rifle to try," she said as she continued scanning. "I've gotta talk to Subaru."

Fate crossed the roof and picked up Teana's rifle along the way. She instructed Subaru to go talk to Teana as she passed the larger weapon off to Nanoha. She attempted to show her how to aim the rifle in a manner similar to the previous evening, but Nanoha politely declined her offer for assistance.

"What's up?" Subaru asked as she ran over to Teana.

"Your aim sucks. What else are you good for?"

Subaru grinned a little in embarrassment. "Wow! You're really are good at getting to the point, you know?"

Teana lowered the binoculars and glanced over at Subaru beside her. She noticed the blue-haired girl was now looking down and kicking at the roof with the toe of her shoe.

"Ugh... I-I'm sorry, Subaru. I didn't mean that the way it came out."

Subaru shrugged and looked out across the city skyline. "It's okay. I get it."

Teana sighed a little. "What did you do before this? That's what I meant to ask."

"Nothing worth mentioning, really," she said evenly.

A heavy silence fell over the two as they both looked out across the city from the roof. Teana tapped her finger against the binoculars now hanging by her side as she considered the way she had just spoken to Subaru.

"I'm not a bad person, you know?" Teana finally said to her. Subaru looked over in surprise at her statement.

"Teana...?" she replied quietly.

"I know that you and Nanoha probably think that about me, but I'm not. I'm just not used to talking to other people besides Fate. That's all."

Subaru raised her hand to rest on Teana's arm. "Hey? Neither one of us thinks that about you, okay? You saved our lives and let us come with you. We are grateful for that."

"Yeah... well, no problem." After another pause, she handed Subaru the binoculars. "Alright. So, we need to get to that department store warehouse thing over there," she then told her and pointed to the large building in the distance.

"Oh..." Subaru muttered and raised the binoculars. "Got any ideas how?"

"Well, not really," Teana admitted. "That's why I need to know what you did before this. So I can try to come up with a plan with you in it."

"I was a mechanic," she told her.

"That could be helpful..." Teana mused. She then looked down at the streets below them. "Which of these cars would be the easiest for you to break into and hotwire?"

Subaru walked along the roof's edge with Teana close behind her. She eventually pointed down towards one of the side streets that ran alongside the building.

"That cherry red Mustang right there. The one with the custom rims," she announced.

Teana only stared at her with her eyebrows raised skeptically in response to her decision. Subaru finally broke down and grinned at her.

"Alright, you got me! That older Honda over there would be the easiest," she then said. She pointed to a green car parked haphazardly on the sidewalk a block away. Teana raised her binoculars and saw no zombies nearby that area.

"What would you need?" she then asked.

"A flat-head screwdriver, if you've got one."

"Okay, guys!" Teana then called out and waved over to Nanoha and Fate. Fate walked over to retrieve Vivio first while Nanoha carried the rifle with her to join them.

"You figure something out?" Fate asked.

Teana pointed to the car that they had decided on. "Subaru and I are going to break into that car and push it back to the front of this building. Fate, you and Nanoha give us cover from up here. Once we make it back, Subaru will hotwire the car while you guys come downstairs through the building. We will then drive over to the warehouse together."

"What if there are zombies inside this building?" Nanoha asked.

"There shouldn't be," Fate said. "We cleared out this building and secured it last week when we did the other one."

"The most important thing is that you guys don't leave this building until you know the car is running," Teana continued. "There's no point in all of us being trapped outside without a way to escape."

"How do _we_ get down?" Subaru then asked.

"We jump down the balconies," Teana replied. "I hope you aren't afraid of heights."

Subaru smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "A little bit!"

"Just get your guns ready and follow me," she told her. The two ensured their weapons were in working order and had filled their pockets with magazines before both looking out over the edge of the building. Teana wasted no time in hanging off the edge of the roof and jumping down onto the balcony below. She looked up to Subaru next and was met with hesitation.

"You can do this, Subaru," Teana encouraged as she squinted up into the sun.

"Alright. I'll give it a shot," she replied. She took a deep breath and let her legs dangle over the side first. She then turned her body around so that she could hang off the side of the building.

"Jump!" Teana shouted. Subaru held on for a few seconds longer before landing on the balcony next to Teana, who grabbed onto her as she landed.

"Thanks," Subaru said once she had steadied herself.

Teana smiled a little. "That wasn't so bad, huh? The next part is a bit more difficult, though."

Nanoha and Fate watched the two descend down the balconies from the roof . Nanoha asked Vivio to stay over by the rooftop door again and listen for any movement inside the stairwell, just in case.

"Do you think they will be able to do this?" Nanoha asked once Vivio had left.

"Teana always finds a way to make it work," Fate replied.

Nanoha hummed a little. "You must really care for her, huh?"

Fate looked at Nanoha with a bit of confusion. "Well, of course I do. She's my friend. We always have each others backs."

"Tell me about your life before the zombies, Fate-chan?" Nanoha then requested.

"Before the zombies?" Fate repeated. "Well, I remember my childhood. And school. I remember joining the marines. But after that, not too much."

"You don't remember anything with Teana?" she asked.

"Well, I met Teana when I was in rehab? She was the one who came to get me when this all started."

Nanoha winced at Fate's statement regarding her recollection of Teana's role in her life. She knew that the two had actually been engaged when Fate had been bitten by a rabid bat in her sleep about seven months earlier. Fate had released the bat the next day when she discovered it in the bedroom, claiming she was worried that it would be euthanized if she called animal control. It was one of the more ironic cases that Nanoha's team had faced. Fate had fought bravely in combat all over the world, only to come close to death by something no bigger than a mouse with wings in her own home.

"Well, it looks like they made to the street," Nanoha mentioned as she looked below. "Let's just make sure we keep them safe, okay?"

Fate smiled. "Sounds good."

Teana gave silent directives to Subaru as they walked quietly down the alleyway and into the street together. She indicated for Subaru to point her pistol to the left while she aimed hers to the right. Once they were in the middle of the street, Teana spotted Nanoha with the rifle pointed down in their direction. Fate had her pistol pointed the opposite way.

They both carefully stepped over the first dead body they came across in the street. Teana then felt a tap on her shoulder, and Subaru silently asked for her to wait. She then drug the infected body out of the road and onto the sidewalk while Teana looked on in disgust and horror. Teana looked across the road and realized it would be necessary to move all of them out of the street to clear a path for the car. Teana held her breath as she grasped the nearest zombie's shirt in her hands and drug it out of the street as well.

After repeating that process five times each along the way, they finally made it to the Honda sitting askew on the sidewalk. Teana was relieved to see that the car was unlocked, leaving them with one less roadblock they would have to conquer. Subaru looked concerned as they both entered inside the car.

"What is it?" Teana whispered to her.

Subaru pointed down the gearshift. "It's an automatic. I was hoping it would have been standard. Or whoever it was would have left the keys."

"What difference does that make?" Teana asked.

"I can't get it into neutral without a key," she replied. "I would have to break into the steering column and that would take some time. Or, I could just hotwire it now?"

"That could draw a hoard over here if we are too loud." Teana closed her eyes to think for a minute. "Hey, wait! Maybe they have a spare key under the bumper in one of the those little black box things?"

"Good idea. Let's go look."

Teana and Subaru checked their surroundings again to ensure no zombies had suddenly appeared. They both then placed their bodies halfway under the car to look for a spare key box. They were running their hands under the lip of the back bumper when they heard numerous gunshots now reigning down from the rooftop above. They both looked at each other in panic and pulled themselves out from the vehicle to face the street.

"Oh, what the fuck?!" Teana yelled when she saw a stray dog running at full speed towards them with a hoard of infected beginning to chase after it.

"Get in the car!" Subaru shouted as she scrambled to her feet. Teana crawled to hers as well and opened the passenger door quickly. The brown and white collie had made it to the car right before Teana could close the door behind her. It jumped into her lap and then into the backseat just as Subaru began to pull wires out by her legs.

The dog glanced around nervously through the side windows as Teana glared back at it angrily. "This is all your fault!" she yelled. The dog whined a little in response.

"Almost got it..." Subaru muttered. The first banging on the trunk began as the hoard descended on the car.

"Hurry up!" Teana shouted as pulled out her pistol and readied herself to shoot if necessary.

The car engine started. "Done!" Subaru cried and shifted the car into reverse. She turned around to look behind her through the back windshield around the dog's head.

Teana glanced in the rear view mirror and spotted Nanoha and Fate running from the ledge of the rooftop once they had started driving. "Okay, Nanoha and Fate are headed down now!" Teana said as Subaru plowed through the mob in reverse. "There is no way they can make it downstairs this quick, though."

Subaru sped up and grabbed the emergency brake to spin the car around. "Alright, let's make them chase us around for a while and then we will lose them!"

"O-Okay..." Teana replied hesitantly as Subaru began honking the horn as they drove down the street. "I usually try to avoid them following us, you know?" She turned around to see the hoard now chasing after the vehicle in a mob as the car turned left down the next street.

"If you come up with a better plan than this, let me know!" Subaru said.

Fate opened the rooftop door in a rush after she had grabbed one of the duffel bags. Nanoha carried the other one over her shoulder with Vivio in her arms as well, leaving her completely defenseless as she followed Fate down the emergency stairwell.

"I can't believe that dog jumped in the car like that!" Fate said to her over her shoulder.

Nanoha was about to reply when she heard the telltale growl and moan that signaled they were not alone in the passage. Fate stopped, dropped the duffel bag, and drew her pistol. She crept down the stairs quickly to the next landing to look for the unexpected visitor. She glanced around nervously when she realized there was nothing below them.

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha screamed when a zombie rounded the corner from the staircase above them at full speed. Fate pulled Nanoha and Vivio close to her as it jumped to attack them. The bullet exploded its skull and sent its body flying backwards into the stairs.

Fate continued to hold them both against her afterward. "Are you guys okay?" she asked.

Nanoha pulled back to look at her directly. "I think so... Are you, Fate-chan?"

"Yeah...I'm good," Fate replied as she met Nanoha's eyes. After a moment, she pulled way from her completely. "Come on. We have to get downstairs," she said and grabbed the duffel bag again.

"Oh, right," Nanoha replied and continued the journey down the remaining flights. "Keep playing the quiet game, Vivio. You're doing great," she added.

Fate cautiously opened the stairwell door on the first floor and looked outside. Noticing no more zombies in the building, the three stood by the front door and waited for Teana and Subaru to arrive.

"Where are they?" Nanoha asked nervously as they looked through the glass towards the street.

"I'm not sure," Fate responded. "Just be ready to run outside when we see them."

Teana gripped the handle above the passenger window as Subaru took another sharp corner around the building. "They should be downstairs by now!" she said.

"I hope so! I'm getting a little carsick doing this. I might have to throw up."

"Shut up, Subaru..." Teana replied through clenched teeth. She then glanced back at the dog again, who appeared to be enjoying the crazy ride around the city blocks in the backseat. "How do we get the dog out of the car, by the way?"

Subaru turned and frowned at Teana. "We don't. It's a border collie. Those are the best dogs to have in this situation," she replied.

"How are we supposed to care for a dog in the middle of all of this?"

"The dog has lived this long. It must know how to take care of itself to some extent."

The vehicle turned the corner around the building one last time before parking in front of it. The doors burst open and Fate ran outside with Nanoha and Vivio close behind her. Subaru popped the trunk so that Fate could place the duffel bags inside of it. Nanoha opened the back passenger door and climbed inside.

"Puppy!" Vivio cried out happily.

"Don't touch, Vivio," her mother instructed as she scooted across the seat with Vivio in her lap. Teana watched Nanoha grab the dog by the muzzle and inspect its eyes first. She then ran her hand along its legs and body to ensure there were no wounds consistent with a bite.

Fate climbed in behind her and shut the door as the hoard started to catch up to the vehicle again. Subaru floored the accelerator and ran over a few of the undead in front of them on the street.

"Is the dog okay?" Fate asked.

"From what I can tell," Nanoha replied. "I'll have to check again when we stop, though."

"So now what?" Subaru asked Teana. She began driving down streets that she recalled had the least amount of obstacles on the way to their destination.

Teana looked behind her to see the hoard of zombies growing distant in the rear windshield. "We head to that warehouse store now," she replied.

"Why did you pick there, by the way?" Nanoha asked.

"We need supplies for the trip and that place looks untouched. They must have locked it down right when the looting began," she replied.

"So how do _we_ get in it then?" Subaru asked.

"We start on the roof as we normally do. There's always a way in somehow."

"Let's just hope there isn't too many zombies locked _inside_ when we get there," Fate added.

"Fate-mama?" Vivio suddenly asked from Nanoha's lap.

"Yes, Vivio?"

"What's the puppy's name?"

Fate closed one eye and pretended to think hard. "That's a good question. I bet you could name her whatever you wanted to and she would like it." The dog barked as if to confirm Fate's statement.

"Arf!" Vivio repeated. "Arf! Arf!" The dog responded by barking again excitedly.

"I guess you discovered its name, Vivio!" Fate replied. "You're so smart! Both of your mamas are proud of you!"

Teana turned around to face the front again when she saw Fate bring her eyes up to meet Nanoha's in a lingering glance after the comment. The exchange between the two was also noticed by Subaru in the rear view mirror. She looked over nervously at Teana and found her to have an expression on her face that she could not read.

"Shift the car into neutral and kill the engine," Teana instructed evenly when the warehouse came into view. "We will coast the rest of the way."

"Where should I park?" Subaru asked.

"Get as close to the back of the building as possible. There's usually things we can climb up on behind buildings, like pallets and stuff."

Subaru guided the car silently through the parking lot and towards the side of the building. They had just made it around the rear corner when the car came to a rolling stop.

Teana pointed through the windshield. "See that huge air-conditioner there? We can use to get on that ledge and then up onto the roof," Teana said.

"We'd better hurry before anything catches up with us," Fate added and pushed open her side door. Subaru pressed the trunk button to open it again. Teana and Fate both ran to the rear of the car to retrieve the duffel bags while the others led the dog over to the air-conditioner unit.

"You ready for this?" Teana asked her.

"Yep. I really hope we can get inside is all. It looks pretty secure," Fate mentioned as they walked away from the car.

Teana was the first to climb up the air-conditioner and onto the ledge. Subaru followed her up onto it next. She then laced her fingers together so that Teana could step onto her hands and be lifted the few feet up to the roof's edge. She pulled herself up onto the roof with Subaru's assistance from below.

Vivio was passed up next to Subaru, who then lifted her up towards Teana. Arf was the next one hoisted up after the little girl. Teana rolled her eyes as she grabbed the dog by the harness she was wearing and pulled her up onto the roof. Arf walked over and sat beside Vivio to wait for everyone else.

Nanoha was next person onto the roof after the two duffel bags were passed up, followed shortly by Subaru with Fate's assistance. Fate had to take a running leap to plant her foot against the wall so that she could grab the edge of the roof in her hands. Both Teana and Nanoha helped pull her up as best as they could.

"Thank god your tall and thin," Teana groaned as Fate stepped onto the roof last.

"Man, it's really nice not to get chased by those things for two seconds," Subaru mentioned.

Teana looked over the edge of building towards the side parking lot and noticed a few zombies staggering around aimlessly. Without any noise or movement to stimulate them, they tended to move around slowly while they waited for a trigger.

"Well, let's not change that now," she replied. "We need to get inside this building as soon as possible."


	3. Chapter 3 - Hide and Go Seek

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******UMINARI WASTELAND**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 3 – ****__****Hide and Go Seek**

* * *

_~Flashback, 3 months Prior~_

The sound of screams coming from inside Room 306 stopped Teana's knuckles from rapping against the heavy wooden door in front of her. She adjusted the grip on her pistol and pressed her ear against the door to listen closer. She could hear an automatic rifle firing repeatedly, as well as instructions to throw a grenade at the enemy. The screams followed again shortly after.

Teana smiled and closed her eyes, now envisioning Fate playing the first-person shooter on the other side. It had been the same video game she used to play before she almost died, as well as a tool she now used to help strengthen her reflexes and cognitive skills there at the institute.

She slide the pistol back into the waistband of her jeans and then gripped the door frame in her hands until her fingers turned white. She remembered being greeted with these same sounds when she would come home from work to the dwelling they shared on the military base. Fate would usually be engrossed to the point she wouldn't hear Teana come in, but once she realized her fiancee' was home she would end the game and jump up to tackle her in a hug.

Hanging out on the couch and watching terrible movies with a few beers was one of their favorite pastimes together. Cleaning up after dinner usually involved throwing away take-out containers, since neither really had the desire or passion to cook. Hayate, their close friend and platoon commander, would always tease them that they were two bachelors who decided they should just marry each other so that they wouldn't ever have to grow up.

They usually would end up in the throws of passion late into the night, and the two would eventually fall asleep in each others arms in sheer exhaustion and satisfaction. She vividly remembered the way Fate would always look at her right before they closed their eyes. It was a look that assured Teana that she was safe with her. That she loved her and was all she really needed.

Teana's eyes flew open when yells and screams rang out from below, yanking her out of her trip down memory lane. Realizing she had now run out of time there, she knocked loudly while keeping her eyes trained on the stairwell door in the hallway.

"Come in!" Fate shouted from inside the room.

Teana pushed the door open quickly and stepped inside. She quietly shut it behind her and engaged the deadbolt. Fate paused the game as she watched her cross in front of the television in the small, dorm-like room to look out the window on the other side.

"Teana!" she greeted happily. "I didn't know you were coming today? What's going on?"

"Not much," Teana replied. Out the window she could see dozens of infected humans now storming the building's lower level below, as well as panicking nurses and staff running out of the building and immediately being attacked. "I was thinking of taking you out of here, but now I'm not so sure."

Fate smiled and raised her eyebrows a little. "You mean, like out on a date? Did you change your mind?"

"It wouldn't really be a date..." Teana said absently. She kept her eyes on the receptionist from the lobby who had just run out of the building and was tackled to the ground. She watched the aggressor rip out part of her throat with his teeth and claw at her chest and face until she stopped moving. Teana then looked down at her watch and noted the time.

"What are you looking at down there?" Fate asked with a laugh. She stood behind Teana and looked out as well, and after a few seconds she stumbled backwards away from the window in horror.

"Thirty seconds," Teana mumbled when she saw the receptionist stand back up from the ground.

"Thirty...? What do you mean? What the hell is going on?!"

"It takes thirty seconds from the time you get bit until you turn into one of those things."

"Okay, but that doesn't - " Fate began as the sound of the stairwell door leading to the third floor hallway burst open. Teana raced across the room and cupped her hand over her mouth to silence her. Other patients could be heard opening their doors and asking what was going on, followed almost immediately by their screams. Their cries were soon drowned out with the wails of the attackers and the sound of bones breaking and flesh ripping. Teana drew her pistol again from her waistband and pointed it straight at the door.

When no attempts were made to enter into the room, she let go of Fate's mouth and pulled her back over to the window. The two noticed the streetlights were now all flashing red, causing a few traffic accidents to occur. The sounds of the collisions sparked interest in the infected, who immediately ran and attacked the people in the cars. They would smash through the windows to get to their prey, although none ever tried to lift the door handles to gain entry into the vehicles.

Teana grabbed a small pad of paper that had unintelligible notes written all over the first page, which Fate used as a way to try to remember things throughout the day. She pulled off the top sheet and wrote on a clean one - - "_They attack when there is movement and noise. We have to stay quiet._"

Fate struggled to read the message, but she soon shook her head to indicate she couldn't understand it. Teana pulled the sheet away to write a simpler note - - "_Do you trust me?_"

She held up in front of her, and after a brief struggle to read it Fate nodded earnestly. Teana pressed her finger to her lips to remind her not to say anything before quietly crossing the room towards the front door again. She listened closely and now heard no noise or movement from the other side. She could then hear the hoard begin their assault on the floor above them.

Teana pointed down at the couch for the two to take a seat and placed the gun on the coffee table. After they both sat down, she picked up the remote to the television and pressed the mute button to silence it completely. She grabbed one of the controllers to the game console and tossed it to Fate. She then picked up the other one and joined in the game that she had been playing. Fate stared at her in completely disbelief at her casualness in the situation, but Teana just smiled and shrugged at her in return. She knew the two should probably get comfortable and find a way to pass the time.

After all, they certainly weren't going anywhere else anytime soon.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

The summer sun beat down on the dusty rooftop as the group tried to find entry into the warehouse they had successfully made it to half an hour prior. The floor of the roof was covered in a blanket of dirt and tiny gray rocks that crunched under their feet as they walked around. The layer was used to deflect heat away from the roof to help preserve it, and it was doing its job magnificently as they all felt the temperature rising the longer the day went on.

"Hey, Subaru? Is that what I think it is?" Teana asked as she stared across the L-shaped building towards the receiving dock behind the store.

Subaru walked the few feet across the roof to join Teana near the edge. She followed her gaze towards the opposite end of the building where a large aluminum container was sitting on a concrete foundation. It had a chain link fence wrapping the sides and covering the top, creating a cage around it for protection.

"I would have to know what you think it is first, before I could say it is or isn't what you think it is," Subaru replied.

Teana turned her head to stare at Subaru after her ridiculous and possibly sarcastic statement. She narrowed her eyes and debated whether the girl was serious in her response to the question, or if she was attempting to be humorous. The goofy grin that appeared on the girl's face shortly afterward confirmed the latter of her two suspicions.

"Is that a generator over there or not?" Teana then asked, rephrasing it so as to not give the girl any more ammunition.

"Yes, a gas one," she confirmed. "It could probably power this whole building for hours. Maybe even a day."

"How loud do you think it will get?"

"Loud! Like... really loud."

"I think Arf found something!" Fate called out to the others from the center of the roof. Everyone watched as the collie continually try to paw and dig at rooftop floor below her.

Fate bent down and brushed away some of the rocks and dirt with her hand. "There's actually a piece of plywood here. Can you help me move it, Nanoha?"

"Which way? Up?" she asked as she knelt down and grabbed the large board in her hands across from Fate.

"We can flip it up and let it fall the other way." The two work as a team to move the board out of the way, revealing what looked to be a small hatch underneath. It was padlocked shut.

"I guess that dog is good for something after all..." Teana mentioned. She crossed the roof to one of the duffel bags to retrieve a set of bolt cutters she had stashed inside.

"Makes you wonder who did that? Do you think they are still inside?" Subaru asked.

"You can't padlock something from the inside like this," Teana replied. "All we can do is hope the people left or are now all de- "

"Don't finish that sentence, Teana," Nanoha interrupted. She moved to hold Vivio's head against her hip and covered her still exposed ear with her hand.

"Oh, right," Teana muttered. "I forget sometimes."

Teana pushed the handles of the bolt cutters together to cut through the thick steel of the lock with Fate's assistance. The two doors fell inwards once the lock holding them in place was released, sending three-months worth of rotten food and potentially infected beings in a rancid gush of air into their faces. Both crawled away from the door and tried to stop themselves from vomiting.

"That's really bad!" Subaru commented as she tried to cover her nose and mouth to block the smell.

Teana spit a few times to get the taste out of her mouth. "Ugh, I'm starting to second guess this decision," she groaned.

Fate held the back of hand against her mouth, still trying to quell the waves of nausea. She finally was able to move her hand away to talk. "No, we've come this far. We need to get the stuff in there."

Nanoha pointed a flashlight down in the pitch dark warehouse. "I see a ladder that leads to a catwalk not too far down," she told them.

"Can you see anything past that?" Teana asked.

"No, not with the catwalk in the way," she replied. "Someone would have to go down there with the flashlight to see past it."

"'Rock Paper Scissors', guys," Teana said, gesturing to both Fate and Subaru. She held out her closed first in front of her and the other two women did the same.

"One, two, three, go!" they said together. Fate threw rock. Subaru chose rock as well, while Teana picked scissors. They both laughed and hit Teana's fingers with their closed fists. Teana stomped over to one of the nearby duffel bags to grab the jar of mentholated salve to smear across her upper lip to help block some of the smell. She then took a handkerchief to tie around the bottom portion of her face.

"Let's hope it's just rotten meat inside," Teana mentioned as she started to climb down the ladder.

"I thought you said you _didn't_ want there to be zombies down there?" Subaru said in a serious tone. She then let a grin slip past her lips again.

Teana stopped on the third rung and glared up at her. "Seriously? I'm about to send you down here instead, you know?" she countered.

Subaru held up her hand. "No, I'm good, thanks!" she quickly replied.

Teana could hear her heavy breathing in her own ears as she descended farther into the blackness. Halfway down the ladder she paused and listened closely for any movement coming from below her. Not hearing any sounds, she took more cautious steps down the final rungs and stepped off on to the platform below. In front of her was nothing but complete darkness.

She drew her gun and pointed it in front of her before crossing her other arm on top with the flashlight. The click of the button echoed across the metal siding of the store. The catwalk was a narrow cross-shaped walkway with no railing, which was mainly used when light figures needed to be fixed throughout the store. She pointed the flashlight across all directions of the catwalk to ensure no zombies had somehow made it up to the ceiling rafters.

Teana pointed the light down towards the store next. She bounced the beam across a few aisles before clicking it off and heading back up the ladder quickly. She climbed out of the hatch as fast as she could and then sat down several feet away from it. She eventually took the handkerchief off her face and threw it down on the roof in frustration.

"How many?" Fate asked seriously. It wasn't often that she witnessed Teana seem defeated like she was now, so she knew the odds were most likely stacked against them.

"50? 75? I have no clue."

"Can't we just shoot them?" Subaru ventured.

Teana shook her head. "That would be a lot of infected blood and bodies to be walking around in after. It isn't an option."

Vivio came to stand in front of Teana, who was now picking up small pebbles and throwing them back down onto the roof. She was nervous to speak to the gruff woman who seemed to be in a bad mood most of time, but she remembered when Fate told her the night before that Teana was a very good person who wanted to help her mother save people. She had come up with an idea and wanted to help, too.

Teana smiled when she noticed the small figure silently looming over her. "What is it, Vivio?" she asked.

Vivio took a deep breath to gather her courage. "You should ask the mean people to leave," she suggested.

"Ask them to leave, huh...?" Teana repeated. She looked over first to the hatch as she thought about how they could get them to leave the building. She turned her head to study the generator across the lot, and then at the bay door of the loading dock about fifty feet from it. She could see the padlock on the outside of the sliding metal door glistening in the sunlight.

Subaru saw where she was looking. "You're thinking of luring them out?"

"If we turn that on and open the bay door, it would make them want to run out. We could shoot them out here."

"It could end up being a suicide mission, though," Fate mentioned. "Are you sure it's worth it?"

"Yep," Teana replied and stood up. "We aren't going to find anyplace else untouched like this. We would get everything we needed for the trip. I'll just go turn on the generator and cut the padlock on the bay door to open it."

Subaru stepped in front of her. "Have you ever worked with one of those generators before, Teana? It may not be so simple to just turn it on."

"Well, it's not like I'm not going to send Fate to do it or anything."

"Wait, why not?" Fate asked with a bit of rejection laced in her voice. "I've done plenty of things like this before? You can just send me."

Teana grimaced at Fate's willingness to volunteer for the dangerous task. She then looked past her to Nanoha, who was now holding Vivio in her arms with Arf beside her legs. She was avoiding everyone's eyes completely as she tried to mask her worry for Fate taking on what could be, in her own words, a suicide mission.

"Look Fate, this one is too risky, okay?" Teana tried to explain. "You need to stay up here. You have other things you have to protect now."

"Other things to...?" Fate repeated in confusion. Nanoha's raised her eyes and glanced nervously between the two women, although she found she was mostly curious about Teana's reasoning for suggesting Fate needed to stay on the roof instead.

"Look, I'll go," Subaru then volunteered. "Generators are like car engines. If something is wrong with it, I would have to fix it anyway, right?"

"If you have to do something like that, then I should probably go too," Teana said. "Anyway, I can open that door to let them out as soon as you get it started."

"Fate and I will cover you guys up here," Nanoha added. She set Vivio down and went to retrieve the rifle and ammunition from the duffel bag, along with other weapons for Fate to use.

Fate was still staring at Teana like she didn't recognize her. When Teana attempted to pass by her, she grabbed her by the arm. "Do you think I'm not able to do it? Is that it?" she asked.

"No, that's not it. I know you could do this," Teana replied.

"So what? Everything is just you and Subaru now?"

Teana paused momentarily, having been taken aback by Fate's unfamiliar tone. "It's not like that at all, Fate. I need you to trust me on this."

"All I've done is trust you, Teana. You know, I may not understand everything all the time... but I know when I'm being replaced."

"Teana? You almost ready?" Subaru called out across the roof.

"Just a sec!" Teana yelled back over her shoulder. She turned back to face Fate. "We will talk about this more when I get back, okay?"

"Whatever," Fate said bitterly and turned her back to walk away from her. Teana watched her retreating form for a few more seconds before returning to the other side of the roof. Subaru handed her some prepared weapons.

"Thanks," Teana mumbled and holstered two of the pistols. She used the third as the one she would keep drawn as they walked. Subaru opted to carry the bolt cutters and a few tools she found in a duffel bag. The two made their way to the edge of the roof and jumped down onto the ledge they had used to climb up earlier.

Teana leaned over to whisper in Subaru's ear. "We are going to move fast this time. We cross the lot and cut the lock first, and then I'll guard you while you work on the generator. When you are ready to turn it on, I'll head back over to the bay door to open it."

Subaru nodded in agreement and swallowed hard, trying to keep her face from becoming flushed after the sensation of feeling Teana's breath near her ear unexpectedly. Teana scowled at her when she pulled away and she saw Subaru's wide-eyed and flustered expression. She mouthed the word '_focus_' to her, to which Subaru solemnly nodded again. The two jumped down to the air-conditioner and then the ground below to begin their mission across the lot.

Nanoha carried one of the duffel bags to their new position on the roof while Fate provided cover for Teana and Subaru along the edge. Vivio was holding onto Arf by her harness as they followed closely behind her mother. Once they were above the bay door, Nanoha took over covering Teana and Subaru in the lot behind the building, while Fate faced the side and front parking lots.

"Fate-chan? Do you want to talk about what's wrong?" Nanoha asked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Arf leave Vivio's side to start patrolling the perimeter of the rear of the building.

Fate only grunted in response at first and said nothing. She eventually glanced back at Nanoha a few times and decided there wouldn't be any harm in discussing the situation with her. She couldn't quite pinpoint what the feeling was exactly that was bothering her, but she knew it had to do with the thought of losing her partner somehow.

"Do you think Subaru likes Teana?" she asked bluntly.

Nanoha raised her eyebrows in surprise to the question, although the rest of her remained motionless as she continued to scan the lot below her. She hadn't expected Fate to be the jealous type. "I'm not sure. Maybe?" she replied.

"Do you think Teana would say yes to her if she asked her out?" she pressed.

"Asked her out?" Nanoha repeated in confusion. " Like on a date? I'm not sure where they would go, so..."

Fate sighed in frustration. "Never mind."

Nanoha couldn't help but giggle a little. "You're going to have to tell me what's really bothering you or I can't help."

"Alright," she said reluctantly. "See, when I was in rehab, I had this nurse who was in charge of the floor I was on. Everyday she would ask me, 'How's Teana doing? How's Teana doing?' At first I had trouble even remembering who Teana was, even though she would visit all the time. But her reminding me every day helped me eventually remember her."

"I'm sure Teana appreciated that? You remembering her."

"I think so? Well, one day the nurse told me that Teana must be in love with me, and that's why she would visit me all the time. She said I should ask her out on a date."

Nanoha tried to stem the mixed emotions rising in her during the course of the conversation. She knew it was ridiculous to feel a sense of jealousy over someone she had just met and who she clearly knew had a past with someone else in the group. She found the feelings to be there already though, almost as if they were out of her control. "Did you end up asking Teana out?" she asked quietly.

"I did... And she told me no."

"Oh?" Nanoha replied slowly and lowered her weapon a little. "Did she tell you why she didn't want to?"

"Yeah. She said that she had lost the person she loved recently and hadn't gotten over it yet. And that it wouldn't be fair to either of us if she tried to replace that person with me."

Nanoha gasped a little and closed her eyes. "Jesus..." she whispered sadly.

"What?" Fate asked.

"N-Nothing," she replied and cleared her throat. She then refocused her weapon again. "So now your worried that Subaru might try something and Teana wouldn't turn her down? Is that it?"

Fate shrugged. "I guess it bothers me. It would almost feel like she would have been lying to me if she ended up being with someone else."

"Fate-chan... Are you upset because you actually want to be with her, or because she said no to you?"

Fate paused while she replayed Nanoha's words a few times in her head, something she had to do when she struggled to grasp the full meaning of them. She was having trouble understanding the difference between the two statements.

"How about this instead - - are you in love with Teana?" she then asked Fate a moment later. She gripped the stock of the rifle tightly as she awaited the answer.

"I feel like I'm supposed to be?" Fate replied.

"But...?"

"But, it doesn't seem right somehow. Even though it would make sense if it did. It confuses me a lot, honestly." Fate then paused and laughed a little. "Maybe I just don't understand what love is?"

"Well, there's different types of love. And the way you feel about someone can change over time. I think when you do find who you are supposed to be with, you will know for sure that you love them."

"I love Fate-mama!" Vivio blurted out, not able to stay out of the conversation any longer.

Fate smiled at her. "Well, I love you too, Vivio!" `

"See, love doesn't have to be bad or confusing," Nanoha said. "Just do what feels right, Fate-chan. I'm sure that's what Teana would want you to do. She wants you to be happy."

Nanoha and Fate both watched Arf suddenly start to whine and pace back and forth on the other side of the roof. She then raised her front feet up and stamped them back down repeatedly. Nanoha turned her vision in the direction Arf was looking and notice a zombie running at a full sprint towards Teana and Subaru. Teana had turned away to look back into the generator and hadn't noticed the attacker headed their way.

Teana spun around when she heard the muffled rifle blast and saw a single zombie come crashing to the ground in a bloody heap across the parking lot. She had only turned her vision away for a few seconds to check on Subaru's progress. She most likely would have seen it coming in time, but she was still grateful for Nanoha's accurate aim.

"How much longer? We shouldn't be down here this long," Teana mentioned quietly.

"I had to get the belt back on. It had slipped off," Subaru replied.

"Should I head over to the door now?"

"Yeah, probably. This thing should start up right away, I hope."

Teana crept as quickly and quietly as she could towards the large metal door. She carefully slid both metal slides out of their grooves on either end and then grasped the handle in the middle. It was only then that she realized that full extent of what she was about to do. She currently had no idea what was on the other side of the huge door, and that she was about to open it up in an invitation for a hoard to coming screaming out straight in her direction.

"Ugh..." she groaned softly. She glanced up to see Nanoha now pointing the rifle directly down at her from the rooftop above. She was just about to step away and call the whole plan off when she heard the insanely loud generator start up behind her.

"Shit!" she yelled and slide open the door about a third of the way up. She spotted several sets of zombie legs just on the other side. She immediately turned and started running back across the lot towards the air conditioning unit. Subaru was hurriedly closing the gate to the fencing before she sprinted away from the generator towards their escape route as well.

Banging and wails erupted from inside the warehouse as the zombies started piling out of the bay door in the direction of the noise. Teana had her gun drawn to take out any zombies that might appear in front of them. Subaru put her gun back in it's holster when she spotted a short piece of lumber along the path back. She grabbed it instead, knowing that it would probably be a more useful weapon for her in the situation.

Gunfire rained down behind them as Nanoha and Fate shot any of the infected that had decided to chase after the fleeing humans. The rest of the mob was now busy clawing at the fencing around the generator.

Four zombies appeared around the rear corner of the building at full sprint before the two could make it back to air-conditioner. Teana successfully took out three with her gun, although she missed the fourth that was now running straight for her partner. Subaru reared back and swung the board like a baseball bat at its head just as it jumped to attack her. She nearly decapitated it as the rotten flesh and muscles of its neck ripped away from the rest of its body. She slammed the board into its skull a few times more to ensure the brain had been destroyed.

"Now I see how you made it this far," Teana said to her as she climbed up on the air-conditioning unit and onto the ledge. "That was really disgusting, though."

Subaru jumped up on the ledge next. "Yeah. I really need to change my clothes now," she replied and looked down at her blood splattered clothing. She then laced her fingers to help Teana jump back onto the roof first. She tried to simulate the same action that Fate did by getting a running start and jumping towards the wall, but she found she was a feet short of the edge. Thankfully, Fate and Teana both grabbed her by the wrists and helped pull her up to safety onto the roof.

"We'd better hurry before they break through to the generator," Teana told the group. Nanoha was already running back with the rifle towards the other side and instructing Arf to go guard Vivio again. The dog obeyed her command and quickly ran over to the little girl to stand next to her. Nanoha opted to take the kneeling position along the edge as she scattered the extra magazines around her for easy reloading.

"She's so badass already," Subaru mentioned as they ran across the roof to join her. Nanoha was already firing into the hoard by the time the other three had taken their positions.

"Don't worry about conserving bullets! We will get more inside!" Teana shouted as they unleashed all their firepower on the hoard of undead below.

**oOOOo**

Teana couldn't help but stare in revulsion at the pile of bodies now laying beside and on top of the fencing cage around the generator. The sound of the large engine inside had been muffled significantly by the bodies, which were now providing insulation around it like a noise barrier.

After the short but nerve-racking journey back across the lot, they all cautiously entered into the receiving dock together. Subaru and Teana struggled to slide the now battered metal door back into place, while Fate kept her gun drawn in case there were any stragglers about to attack them. After a few moments of forceful pulling they finally got the door back into place and secured.

"The air conditioner running helps, but it stills smells pretty bad in here," Teana said.

"I'm just glad to feel air conditioning at all," Subaru responded.

"We still need to clear the building. And I _will _be going this time," Fate added.

Teana turned to look at Nanoha once again. She was back to looking nervous at Fate's suggestion, but Teana knew it wasn't her place to keep stopping her. "Subaru can stay behind with Nanoha and Vivio," Teana announced. "Fate and I can clear the building together."

Fate shook her head. "No, if we split up then we can do this even faster. You go with Subaru, and I'll go with my partner."

"Wait, what? Nanoha can't just leave Vivio here?" Teana replied in confusion.

"No, not Nanoha. I'm talking about Arf," she said and pointed down to the dog.

Teana paused and took note in the confidence in Fate's expression. "Alright then. If you think it is okay."

"Fate-chan, are you seriously going to take the dog?" Nanoha asked.

"Yep. She would hear something a lot sooner than any of us could. Plus, she's already been trained to do this. We all saw it on the roof."

An air of silence fell over the group as they all stared down at Arf, who was panting with her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she waited for her next command.

"Well, now I want the dog," Subaru said.

"Hey!" Teana shouted at her.

"You can't have the dog. I already called dibs on her," Fate replied.

"How about 'Rock Paper Scissors'?" Subaru then ventured.

Teana grabbed Subaru by the collar of her shirt and drug her towards the main floor of the store. "Idiot! You're with me, whether you like it or not!"

Fate was double-checking her weapons and ammunition supply when she noticed Nanoha's clouded expression watching her. She lowered her gun to her side as her confused burgundy eyes met Nanoha's nervous sapphire ones.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I know you have to do this sort of thing, but I don't have to like it," Nanoha replied as she glanced between her and Arf.

Fate looked down to the dog as well and then back up at her. "I'll bring the dog back, Nanoha. I promise."

Nanoha groaned a little and pouted. "That's not what I meant, Fate-chan."

"Is Fate-mama coming back?" Vivio asked as she held onto one of her mother's legs.

Fate smiled and walked up to her. She then knelt down to be at eye-level with her. "I'll be back soon, Vivio. I just have to make it sure it's safe for us, okay?"

Vivio reached out to give her a hug. "Okay, Fate-mama!"

"It'll be okay," Fate assured the two of them as she stood up. "You guys can go hang out in the office over there. It has windows, so you can see out but still be safe."

Nanoha picked up the duffel bag nearby to take with her. "Alright. Just come get us when your done, okay?"

"I will." She was about to turn to leave when Nanoha grabbed her by the hand to stop her.

"Fate-chan?"

"Yes?" Fate replied. She was then taken by complete surprise when Nanoha unexpectedly leaned up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"For good luck," Nanoha said before turning to walk away with Vivio in tow towards the office.

Fate held her hand against the tingling spot on her cheek as she turned around and headed out of the receiving area. She then gestured to Arf to come walk by her side. She entered into the store with her weapon drawn to start searching for any infected still lingering inside the building.

* * *

**A/N:** I have to update one of my other stories, but I'll return to this soon enough. Until then ~Nissanity~


	4. Chapter 4 - Stir the Hornet's Nest

**A/N: **This chapter is mostly Nanoha's backstory, although I know there might be some controversial feelings arising from it. People are never perfect though, and I wouldn't want to write these characters in a way that doesn't portray both the good and bad about human nature. And before anyone gets angry with me for putting out another chapter of this newer story over an older one, I have the next update for _Practice Makes Perfect_ mostly finished.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******UMINARI WASTELAND**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 4 – ****__****Stir the Hornet's Nest**

* * *

_~Flashback, 3 months Prior~_

Shuffling papers and the occasional throat clearing were the only sounds heard in the dimly lit conference room as Nanoha paused in her slide-show presentation. She was allowing the attendees around the rectangular table a chance to review the recent developments in the rabies post-exposure protocol, a project she had been spearheading for two years now.

"As you are all aware," she continued, "we altered the medicinal dosages administered to surviving patients 9, 10, and 11. We increased the amount of ribavirin to help stop the virus' speed of replication in the brain and spinal - "

The chief medical officer at the research facility interrupted her impatiently. "The brain damage that occurred in 9 and 10 was different than previous survivors, correct? Have we discovered why that occurred yet?"

"No, not yet. Patients 1 through 8 kept higher-level brain functions but lost basic skills like the ability to walk and talk. Patients 9 and 10, on the other hand, retained perfect motor skills after their comas but suffered extensive mental setbacks. This included memory loss and forgetting how to read and write. There are also reports of an inability to tell what is right and wrong at times, as well as occasional mood swings. We are still unsure if it was to due to the increased dosages or not."

"And patient 11?" he then asked.

Nanoha sighed as she looked down at the case notes on the table. "The patient is still in a medically induced coma at last report. We doubled the amount of ribavirin from what we had used with patient 10, the 26 year-old female marine. If patient 11 wakes up, we will have to gauge what level of brain damage has occurred, if any."

A light from the hallway suddenly spilled into the darkened room when a lab assistant opened the door to peak his head inside. "Nanoha? You have a phone call from your husband. He says it's an emergency," he said.

The chief of medicine stood and began to gather the paperwork in front of him. "Why don't we continue this another time? I have a flight to catch soon as it is."

"Thank you, sir," Nanoha said politely as everyone around the table began to gather their briefcases and paperwork. She walked briskly out of the conference room and into the hallway to follow behind the lab assistant. The clicking of her heels on the linoleum flooring echoed across the stark white walls of the research facility. The assistant lead her into the security office and shut the door behind her so that she could take the call in privacy.

"Yuuno?" Nanoha said into the receiver.

"Nanoha?!" he cried.

"This better be good for you to be calling me at work, Yuuno! Your visitation with Vivio isn't until the weekend. And why the fuck are you still referring to yourself as my husband?!"

"Because I _am_ still your husband, Nanoha. Nothing is finalized yet. But screw all that for now! Are you watching the news?"

Nanoha gripped the phone in her hand tighter. "You called me to ask if I was watching the news? Of course not. I'm working."

"You need to get Vivio to a safe place as soon as possible. Something bad is happening out here."

Nanoha glanced up to the security televisions that broadcast live feeds from the cameras all around the facility. She noted nothing abnormal until she saw several people banging furiously on one of the first floor windows outside of the building. She immediately recognized it as the one that looked into the on-site daycare center where Vivio stayed while Nanoha worked.

"People are attacking other people, Nanoha. It's insane!" he added.

Nanoha dropped the phone from her ear and ran out of the security office, leaving the receiver to dangle by the cord over the edge of the desk. She threw her heels off in the hallway and sprinted towards the stairwell to get to the first floor to find her daughter.

"Nanoha?" Yuuno's voice called out from the phone to the empty security office. "Nanoha!"

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

"Mama, when is Fate-mama coming back?" Vivio asked as she sat on a work bench in the receiving office. She was currently kicking her legs out and playing with one of her locks of hair in boredom.

Nanoha looked out of the office window again. She had been glancing through it constantly for the past half hour as she and her daughter waited for the other members of the group to return. "She will be back soon, Vivio," she assured her.

"Do you ever miss Daddy, Mama?" Vivio then asked.

Nanoha exhaled slightly as she stared at her daughter and considered how best to answer the question. It wasn't uncommon for Vivio to bring up her father and how much she missed him, although it was rare for her to ask if her mother missed him too.

Vivio was too young to fully understand that her two parents were going through a bitter divorce when everything changed. It originally stemmed from when he caught Nanoha in bed with another woman, although he rejected the notion of divorce when she had proposed it shortly afterward. He claimed he could handle her sleeping with other women if that is what she felt she needed to do outside of their marriage. She countered that it was _all _that she needed and that being married to him was no longer an option, nor would it be fair to either of them.

She later tried to explain to him that it was an emotional fulfillment she experienced in the arms of another women that he could never give her. If she were being completely honest with herself though, it also was the best sex she had ever had in her life. She knew there was no way she could go back to anything else after that. And by the time the zombies had come around, the two had already become strangers in their own home.

"Yes, Vivio. I miss him," she lied. "But most of all, I'm happy that he helped make you. You are the most precious thing in the world to me."

"Did you love Daddy?" Vivio asked.

Nanoha bent down to face her daughter directly on the work bench. "Hmmm... Did you love Daddy, Vivio?" she asked her back instead.

Vivio nodded earnestly. "Yep!"

"And do you love me?"

"Um-hmm. I love you most, Mama!" Vivio said with a smile. Nanoha tickled her before scooping her daughter up into a hug. A single gunshot suddenly came from inside the store, causing Vivio to flinch.

"I don't like guns. They are too loud," she said over Nanoha's shoulder.

"I know, sweetie," her mother replied as she swayed back and forth to comfort her. "But we use them to be safe, okay?"

"Fate-mama keeps us safe. I love her, too!"

Nanoha smiled as she stared out the window again. "That's good, baby. I'm glad you do."

"Do you love Fate-mama?"

"Well, it's a little too soon for me, Vivio. But I do care about her. Teana and Subaru, too."

A second gunshot rang out and Nanoha turned her vision to the duffel bag full of weapons.. "Let's just hope there aren't too many in there with them..." she added.

Fate stopped to grab an elastic hairband from the aisle she was currently clearing with her partner. She held her gun between her legs momentarily while she placed her long hair in a bun and secured it with the hair tie. She had just taken out two zombies in lab coats that were trapped behind the pharmacy counter. She heard Teana's weapon fire in another section of the store and she quickly drew her weapon again.

"Come on, Arf," she told the collie as she started walking down the aisle again. She scanned the area in front of her to determine where else a potentially infected being could be trapped.

She attempted to remain as vigilant as she could, despite the fact that she was still slightly distracted by the thought of Nanoha's kiss against her cheek. The sensation felt almost like electricity when her lips brushed against her skin. Teana and their friend Hayate had kissed her numerous times on the cheek in greeting or to say goodbye, but this time it felt... different.

Fate switched the gun between her hands to take turns wiping her palms on her pants, trying to remove some of the sweat that became increasingly present the more she thought about what had happened early. She soon determined that she wouldn't mind if Nanoha kissed her on the cheek again.

Arf stopped and listened intently to her surroundings at the end of the aisle they were scanning. Fate pointed towards the direction of the last gunshot. "Let's go find Teana," she instructed.

The other team was currently scanning the sporting goods section across the store for any undead stragglers that may be caught behind doors or counters. Teana's bright blue eyes gleaned as she spotted the case full of brand new rifles, as well as all the accessories that went with it. As they passed through the aisle that housed the softball gear, she silently pointed down to a wooden baseball bat for Subaru to pickup. Her companion happily placed her gun back into her holster and took the melee weapon into her hands instead.

"I think we are almost through with this part of the store," Teana said to her quietly. "We just have to check the restrooms along the front."

"Did you see that emergency shower in the back?" Subaru asked as she twirled the bat around in her hand. "It'll be nice to take one after all this time."

"No, kidding! You need really one bad," Teana teased and pushed her on the shoulder.

Subaru shoved her back a little bit harder and laughed. "You're one to talk! You smell terrible!"

Teana growled and then put her into a headlock. "You're the one covered in zombie guts, you weirdo!"

"Yeah, well, when's the last time you changed _your_ clothes, Tea?!"

"God damnit, Subaru!" Teana yelled and pushed her away for her. "You piss me off all the time! And what hell did you just call me?!"

Subaru grinned at her and pretended to cover a laugh with her hand. "Hmm-hmm! You needed a nickname."

"Well, I'm not giving you one back. It's ridiculous!" she replied defiantly. She spun around and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

"You're already trying to come up with a name right now!" Subaru then taunted. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Ugh! Why do I have to babysit you all the time?!" she shouted in return and started walking towards the last area to clear.

Subaru jogged close behind her. "I tried to take the dog, but you insisted I go with you!"

Teana held her hand up to silence her and focused her weapon in front of them again. Subaru raised the bat near her shoulder and adjusted her grip around the base of it. The two crept silently towards the women's restroom, which is where Teana thought she had just heard a noise coming from within. She pointed to the door with her outstretched arm first and looked back at Subaru. They both nodded at each other before she reached for the long silver handle.

Teana yanked the heavy door open as quickly as she could and pointed her weapon inside. Subaru held the door open as she walked through the front entrance of the restroom towards the middle of the tiled floor. She looked in every corner around the side walls and under the stalls. She then stood silently in the middle to listen for any growls or moans. Satisfied that it was empty, she lowered her weapon and exited the bathroom.

"This bathroom is clear," she told Subaru as she passed by. "Let's go check the men's and make sure - "

Her statement was interrupted when the two heard a low growl come from the maintenance closet situated between the two restrooms. Teana had no time to react or raise her weapon when the door suddenly came bursting open. Subaru watched in horror as a zombie in a white button-up shirt soaked in dried blood tackled Teana to the ground, sending her gun flying away from her.

"Subaru!" she screamed as she tried to hold it by the shoulders to keep it from biting her. She whimpered when blood from its mouth splattered across her face. She tried to ignore the few drops that had made it onto her lips and into her mouth as she struggled for her life.

Subaru raced over from the doorway and swung her baseball bat across the temple of the infected being. The sound of its skull crushing echoed across the store, and parts of its brain pushed out through the cracks. The zombie immediately went limp above Teana after the impact. She groaned loudly as she pushed it off of her onto the floor beside her. She then sat up and began to search frantically for her gun.

"Are you okay, Tea?" Subaru asked shakily as she knelt by her side. She was shocked when Teana took the gun from her own shoulder holster and placed it in her palm. She made Subaru point it straight at her forehead.

"The blood got into my mouth!" Teana shouted in a panic. Her trembling hands over Subaru's grip held the gun firmly in place. "One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand..." she began counting.

"Tea...?!" Subaru cried out desperately. She tried to pull the gun away but Teana shoved the weapon back again. "You shoot me if I turn, Subaru! Seven-one thousand, eight-one thousand, nine-one thousand..."

Fate came running up with Arf as Teana continued to count on the ground. She looked down at the situation in horror as it sunk in that her partner may potentially be infected. She then raised her gun to point at Teana's head as well.

"Fate...? Put the gun down, please?" Subaru tried to reason with her.

"We don't let each other become one of them, Subaru," she replied evenly as the counting continued.

"Twenty-seven one thousand, twenty-eight one thousand, twenty-nine one thousand... thirty!" she finished. She let go of her grip on the gun and Subaru immediately dropped it on the ground. She pulled Teana into a tight hug against her after.

"That scared me so bad!" she said as she held the woman close to her. She suddenly felt her go limp against her shoulder.

Fate bent over to pull back one of her eyelids. "She just fainted," she informed Subaru. "What's left to clear here?"

"Just the men's restroom," she replied as she laid Teana down onto the floor.

"Arf and I will check it. Just keep an eye on her until I get back."

Subaru nodded in agreement as Fate left with the dog again. She looked down sadly at Teana's unconscious face as she thought about what she could have done differently in the situation. She did not regret not using a gun, knowing that in her panic she could have shot and killed Teana by accident instead with her poor aim. But she also knew she lost precious time by not having something that could help from a longer distance.

Fate exited the restroom and came to stand above the two on the ground. Arf pawed at Teana's shoulder and whimpered to try to wake her up. "The restroom is clear," she announced.

"Okay, Fate," Subaru replied quietly. "I-I'm sorry, by the way. About Teana."

"You need to take this more seriously. Now you know what can happen if you don't pay attention."

"I'm sorry," Subaru whispered again and squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel new tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"I'm going to go get Nanoha," Fate then said and passed by the two with the dog. "We'll be back."

Arf trotted beside Fate as she jogged back across the store to retrieve Nanoha and Vivio from the receiving office. In the past, Fate normally would have stayed around to make sure that Teana had woken up, but this time was different. Emotions she had never experienced before had surfaced when she saw the danger her partner was put in by the bumbling girl who couldn't even shoot a gun well. For the first time since she could remember, she had envisioned hurting another human when it wasn't to protect herself or someone else. She scared herself with her own thoughts and decided that leaving was the best thing she could do in that moment.

Her worries seemed to mostly disappear when she saw Nanoha's face brighten at the sight of her returning. She got Vivio's attention inside the office and pointed out the window towards her. Vivio waved cheerfully at her and Arf from her mother's arms. Nanoha pushed open the office door and stepped outside a moment later.

"You made it back!" she said happily. "I was starting to get worried there for a minute."

"Sorry it took so long. Something came up inside," Fate replied.

Nanoha's eyes glanced nervously between her and the store. "Is everything okay?"

"Just a close call with Teana, but she's alright now. We'd better get going so we can get the supplies together as soon as possible."

"Okay. Do you mind getting the duffel bag from the office?"

Fate walked into the small room and retrieved the bag from the floor under the work bench. "Teana and Subaru are up front by the restrooms," she added.

"Good! I could really use a trip to the bathroom anyway," Nanoha mentioned. "Do you need to go too, Vivio?"

The little girl shook her head. "No, I don't want to," she replied defiantly. Her mother immediately recognized the tone in her voice.

"She needs a nap," she told Fate as they began to walk towards the store with Arf following close behind. "I wonder if we could find a place for her to sleep while we get the supplies?"

"I'm sure we can," Fate said as she watched Vivio's eyelids already starting to droop. "She hasn't eaten for a while though."

Nanoha smiled a little to herself. "You remembered when she last ate, Fate-chan. That's good."

Fate paused for a moment while she debated discussing the unfamiliar feelings she had experienced towards Subaru after the incident a few moments prior. Seeing that Vivio was still awake, she decided to ask Nanoha about her condition in a different way.

"Hey, Nanoha? I know you came up with the way to save me when I got sick and I'm just curious... Is everyone else who survived like me too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did they have trouble remembering things, or did they sometimes feel things they weren't used to feeling?"

"Well... No, honestly," she replied hesitantly. "You and one other person were different than the rest. You two were able to walk and talk after you woke up from the coma. The others couldn't. But you had trouble remembering things, unlike the others."

"And what about the weird feelings?"

"Yes, there were reports of changes in your personalities as well. And when you were faced with difficult scenarios, you would sometimes react in ways that were different than how you used to."

Fate and Nanoha caught sight of Teana and Subaru in front of the bathrooms as they approached the front of the store. The previously unconscious woman was now on her feet and checking her weapons to make sure they were still in working order. Subaru was beside her and still looking apologetic. Fate felt anger start to rise up in her again at the sight of the blue-haired girl, although the feeling was considerably less intense than before.

"I'll take Vivio while you use the bathroom," Fate told Nanoha and reached for the now sleeping girl in her mother's arms. Nanoha gratefully handed her daughter to her.

"I won't be long. You guys can get started without me if you want to."

Fate spotted a checkout register that looked free of any blood. "Vivio can lay down on the belt over here?" she suggested.

"That sounds good," Nanoha agreed as she pushed open the door to the women's restroom. "See you in a minute, Fate-chan."

Nanoha picked the first stall in the restroom after glancing underneath all the doors to make sure she was alone. She had to laugh a little to herself at how vulnerable people really were when they were sitting on a toilet like she was now. She then felt around her chest and realized she had forgotten to take a weapon with her.

"_I'm like one of those idiots from a bad horror movie,_" she thought as she considered her own carelessness. She flushed the toilet and resolved to arm herself again the moment she left the restroom. As the water washed away and she watched clean emerge from the reservoir tank though, the idea of washing her face sounded more desirable than anything else at the moment.

She turned on the left faucet and let it run for a few seconds before moving her hand under the stream. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed feeling hot water for the first time in months. She found it ironic that such trivial things before could be so monumental and special to a person who only knew cold sink baths by that point. She removed her hair tie holding up her side ponytail and let her copper-toned hair cascade down her shoulders and back freely. She then adjusted both the hot and cold faucets to her ideal temperature and splashed the water against her face a few times.

Nanoha felt the cold steel barrel of a gun suddenly pressed against the back of her head. "Don't turn around or I will kill you," the unfamiliar female's voice commanded. Nanoha slowly turned off the water and gripped the sides of the sink in her hands tightly. Water dripped down from her face as she stared at the tiling on the wall just above the faucet handles.

"How did you get in here?" she asked calmly.

"You left the hatch open on the roof. I came when I heard the generator start up. I snuck in and waited for one of you to show up in here."

Nanoha reached over to grab some paper towels from the dispenser next to her. She dried her face and hands with them while she talked. "Well, what do you want from me exactly?"

"Just to get out. I'm claiming this store as mine. I would thank you for clearing out for me, but I really don't care. I take what I want, when I want it."

Nanoha's eyes widened at the familiar statement and voice it was spoken in. Despite the instructions to not turn around, she spun on her heel to face the woman behind her.

"Ginga...?" she whispered when she confirmed it was indeed the person from her past.

The blue-haired girl immediately lowered her weapon. "Nanoha?" she replied in disbelief.

"You survived?" Nanoha then asked, still in a state of shock.

"Yeah, I did." Ginga smiled at her and took a step forward towards her. Nanoha stepped back and found herself pressed against the wall between two sinks.

Ginga tapped the barrel of her gun against her cheek as she thought about the last encounter she had with the woman now in front of her. "Let's see, I haven't seen you since... Ah, that's right! It was the day your husband caught us in bed together."

"That was a mistake, Ginga. I was married at the time. It never should have happened."

"_Un_happily married at the time," she countered. "And you can't call it a mistake if you keep coming back for more. That makes it a choice. How is Yuuno doing, by the way?"

"He's dead. Thanks for asking," Nanoha replied bitterly.

"I could say I'm sorry to hear that... But that would be a lie, honestly." Ginga took another step closer. Cobalt eyes flashed in irritation as they met the bright green ones now about a foot away. Ginga moved her hand up to brush strands of hair over Nanoha's ear.

"If I remember correctly, you had said you could see yourself with me instead? Well, here's our chance?"

"I did say that, but that was a long time ago. I'm not that person anymore."

Ginga pushed herself against Nanoha completely and lowered her hand from her cheek down to her chest. Nanoha gasped and inadvertently moaned when she felt the woman suddenly take her breast in her hand. "Not that much has changed, it seems? I can see you still like it when I touch you."

The uninvited action was met with a hard slap to her face. "God, what the fuck happened to you, Ginga?! I don't remember you being this much of a jerk!" she shouted.

Ginga smirked as she pulled away and rubbed her sore cheek and jaw. "Well, I guess I'm not that person anymore either, Nanoha."

The restroom door opened slightly beside the two. Ginga grabbed Nanoha from the wall before she could react and cupped her hand over her mouth. Nanoha struggled to free herself until Ginga pointed the gun directly at her throat. She stopped moving completely and waited for help to arrive instead.

"Nanoha? Are you okay?" Fate asked through the crack in the door. When she heard no response from the other side, she pushed the door open with her gun drawn. The door handle crashed into the tiled wall beside her as she aimed her pistol straight at Ginga's head.

"Let her go! I am not afraid to kill you," she said through clenched teeth.

"Well, I have no doubt about that," Ginga replied with a small laugh. She then leaned over to speak next to her hostage's ear. "Hey Nanoha, who's your friend? She's hot as fuck."

Fate adjusted the aim of her pistol slightly to the left of Ginga's head and pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed by her ear within inches before embedding itself into one of the bathroom tiles behind her.

"I won't miss next time," Fate promised her. Ginga shifted on her feet uncomfortably in response to the deadly threat.

Teana ran inside the restroom with her weapon drawn when she heard Fate's muffled gunshot. "What the fuck is this all about?!" she yelled.

"Hey, I recognize you guys now!" Ginga mentioned when she spotted the familiar burnt-orange hair.

"Wait a minute...? You're the one who shot Fate a few months ago, you stupid bitch!" Teana shouted in response.

Nanoha yanked Ginga's hand away from her mouth.. "You shot her, you piece of shit!"

"They took my store!"

"It wasn't _your_ store! You hadn't even been inside it yet!" Teana replied.

"But I was going to! If you two hadn't come along - "

"Enough!" Fate interrupted. She took a step closer to Ginga. "This is your last chance. Let her go."

Ginga did not responded to the directive immediately. She instead pressed the barrel of the gun into Nanoha's neck harder. She knew if she let her hostage go now, she was as good as dead.

"Where's Vivio?" Nanoha asked Teana desperately.

"I left Subaru outside to watch her."

"S-Subaru? Did you say Subaru?" Ginga stammered and blinked wildly at the door. "Wait, Vivio...?"

Nanoha tried to look at Ginga's face behind her after her sudden demeanor change. She didn't realize that she might know Subaru, but she recognized a look of concern regarding the little girl. "Yes, my daughter is out there. If you kill me, you're leaving her without her mother."

Ginga kept a watchful eye on Teana and Fate as she started walking past them towards the bathroom door with Nanoha still shielding her. "You idiots left Subaru alone to protect a kid? What's wrong with you?"

Teana flinched slightly when she now noticed a resemblance between the two women. "You know Subaru?" she asked.

"Yes, of course I know her," she replied as she reached down to grab the handle. She kept Nanoha in front of her as she maneuvered through the doorway with Fate and Teana still following close behind.

Once Ginga made it out of the bathroom, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the familiar woman facing the opposite direction. She was currently standing guard over the sleeping little girl on a conveyor belt at one of the registers. After she had cleared the doorway, she let her hostage go from her grasp. Nanoha immediately ran to stand next to Fate while the blond moved her finger onto the trigger.

"Please don't kill me in front of my sister," Ginga requested as she held her own gun out to the side. "I just want to go say hi to her. I haven't seen her since this all happened."

Subaru spun around when she heard the voices coming from behind her. She looked on in horror as she saw Fate and Teana about to execute someone still human right there in the store.

"Stop! What the hell are you guys doing?!" she yelled as she ran over to them.

Ginga turned around to face her with her arms still out at her sides. Subaru stopped short as her sister's face came into focus. "G-Ginga...? she whispered. Teana and Fate both lowered their weapons once they saw that Subaru did indeed recognize the woman, although neither put their guns back into their holsters.

"Hey, kiddo!" Ginga greeted her warmly.

Subaru sprinted towards her and came crashing into her outstretched arms. "You're alive! I can't believe you're alive...!" she cried.

"And I can't believe you made it this long! That must be some dumb luck you've got going on!" Ginga replied happily.

"No kidding..." Teana muttered.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Ginga then asked her sister casually.

"We're gathering supplies. We are going to try to make it to the mountain outside of town. There's a research facility out there that Nanoha needs to get to."

Teana's grip tightened around the handle of her gun in frustration. The last thing she wanted was to have this lunatic following them around as they tried to make their way out of the city. "Subaru..." she warned.

Ginga turned to face the others in the group. "So you all are just going to get some supplies, grab a car, and take the freeway out of town? Is that it?"

"And what difference does that make?" Nanoha asked angrily.

"Well, there is only one route out of town that isn't blocked with cars. If you try to leave any other way, you might as well kill yourselves now."

Teana raised her weapon towards Ginga again. She was through playing games with the woman, regardless of whether she was Subaru's sister or not. She then remembered the traffic jam she saw on the freeway on her way to save Fate that first day the zombies arrived. After a few moments of consideration, she eventually resigned herself that Ginga might actually be telling the truth about the roads leading out of the city.

"Tell us where the route is and I won't kill you," she instructed her.

"Teana...?" Subaru whispered in disbelief at her action. She glanced back and forth between the two before coming to stand in front of her sister. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but I'm not going to let you hurt her!"

Ginga grinned smugly at everyone from behind her sister. She then put her arm around her shoulder to use her as a new human shield. "I will _show_ you how to get out of the city. But you have to take me with you. That's the only deal I am willing to make," she said.

"Why the hell do you want to go with us? What's in it for you?" Teana asked as she lowered her weapon again.

"I have my reasons," she replied vaguely before looking directly at Fate.

"Ugh! This fucking sucks!" Teana yelled in frustration and placed her gun back in her holster. "Alright, you can come with us. But you won't have any weapons. You got that?"

"That's fine," Ginga said and stepped out from behind Subaru. She clasped her hands behind her head so that she could be patted down. Teana walked over to start searching her, but Ginga immediately stopped her. "No, I want the blond to do it," she requested.

Before Nanoha could object, Fate stepped away from her and crossed to where Ginga was now standing and took her gun. She used the toe of her boots to kick at Ginga's shoes so that she would spread her legs farther apart. She bent down to start running her hands along one of her calves and then up her thigh. Ginga smirked and raised her eyebrows at Nanoha, while sapphire eyes seethed in anger at her in return.

"You're pretty good with your hands," she mentioned to the woman now checking her other leg. Fate said nothing in return and instead pulled out a small handgun from one of her cargo pockets. "Make sure you check everywhere, okay?" Ginga added.

"Fate-chan, hurry up..." Nanoha said when she saw Fate now moving her hands up Ginga's torso to check under her t-shirt.

"Fate, huh?" Ginga mused. "I like that name. If I had known you like this back at that store, I probably wouldn't have shot you. We could have teamed up instead."

Fate stepped away from the woman after the search. "I don't believe you," she told her.

"No, it's true! I swear. So, tell me if you would - - which one of these lovely ladies are you with, Fate?"

"With...? Well, everyone here?" she answered in confusion.

Ginga smiled at her. "Hmmm... I see." She suddenly clapped her hands loudly and rubbed them together a few times as she looked around the store. "Well, enough of that for now. Whose team am I on? Fate's, I hope?"

Teana eyed Ginga suspiciously after her interaction with her partner. "You're with me and Subaru," she told her warily. "Nanoha and Fate will stay with Vivio and then gather food and medical supplies. The three of us will head back to sporting goods to get some more weapons."

"Oh, I thought I didn't get any?" Ginga asked.

"You _don't_," Teana replied firmly. "And I will shoot you if you try."

"Teana!" Subaru shouted at her.

Ginga placed an arm around her sister's shoulder again. "Don't worry about it, Subaru. She's just doing her job as the leader. She wouldn't actually shoot me," she tried to assure her. She started guiding Subaru away from the group towards the other part of the store. Teana followed after them with her hand continually resting on the handle of her pistol.

"Teana might not shoot her, but I'm seriously considering it," Nanoha mentioned as she walked to stand next to Vivio. The little girl was still sleeping soundly on the conveyor belt.

"I wasn't sure what she meant when she asked who I was with?" Fate said.

"She was asking you which one of us you were in a relationship with," she replied.

"That's what I thought. It just took me a minute to figure it out."

Nanoha smiled gently at her. "It's okay, Fate-chan. But just be careful around her, okay? She is the type to take advantage of a situation to get what she wants."

"What is it that she wants?" Fate then asked.

"What does she want...?" Nanoha repeated quietly and looked away. She debated whether she should disclose her history with the opportunist to Fate or not at this point. It was a chapter in her past she wasn't particularly proud of, although a part of her also recognized it was a necessary one she had to live through to discover what it was she really wanted in life.

She and Ginga had started their lust-filled affair about seven months prior to the zombies, when Nanoha had walked into the local lesbian bar in a quest to find herself and met the beautiful and engaging bartender. Ginga was attentive and understanding as Nanoha discussed her daughter and the unhappy marriage she was currently in, all while supplying her with all the alcohol she wished to consume that evening.

When Ginga offered to drive her home, she already knew her defenses were down and she honestly didn't care. A one-time romp with the woman at her apartment turned into several more as the weeks and eventual months went on. Nanoha knew that what she was doing was cruel and unfair to her husband but she made no motions to stop the affair. The convenient trysts between the two proved to be far too tempting for Nanoha to resist, and Ginga's promises of a happier life with her fueled her desire to keep returning to her bed.

It wasn't until she made the mistake of inviting Ginga into her own bedroom during one of her rare days off of work, and when Yuuno subsequently walked in on them, did she call off the arrangement between them. Ginga seemed unfazed when Nanoha called her the next day to tell her that they probably shouldn't see each other anymore, at least until she had gone through the divorce she had been contemplating for quite some time. Ginga claimed she was only in it for the sex as it was and that all the sneaking around wasn't worth her time anyway.

Nanoha now studied the woman in front of her who had captivated her thoughts in a way that no one else had ever done before, and who seemed to have gotten the attention of the woman from her past as well. She then looked over at her daughter still resting beside them. She knew Vivio had falling absolutely in love with Fate from the very first moment they met, and she wasn't about to let any of that go without a fight.

"Ginga probably just wants to see how much she can take from us is all," she finally told her. Fate hummed in response and watched the other half of the group disappear around the corner towards the sporting good section of the store.

"Well, let's just hope that she doesn't cause too many problems for us..." she said somberly.

* * *

**A/N:** See you soon ~Nissanity~


	5. Chapter 5 - The Truth Never Dies

**A/N: **Well, I should let everyone know that I haven't been able to write or finish anything else this week due to a family emergency that occurred on Monday. I usually write a few chapters ahead on my stories before I post an update, so as of now this is the only thing I have finalized that is ready to send out into the world. I should be back to writing normally again next week (I hope, at least).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******UMINARI WASTELAND**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 5 – ****__****The Truth Never Dies**

* * *

_~Flashback, 3 Months Prior~_

The florescent lights flickered twice above Nanoha's head as she raced down the stairs of the research facility. She was in desperate need to reach her daughter in the day-care center before anything else could. Even though the building had reinforced glass on the outer windows and doors, she knew there was no such thing as impenetrable. It was only a matter of time before the crazed people outside made it into the building.

When she slammed open the door that led to the first floor, she was greeted by the sight of one of those _things_ at the other end of it. It turned around and snarled at her when it sensed her sudden presence. Blood oozed from its mouth and pooled onto its shirt as it began to sprint towards her from across the hallway.

Nanoha eyed the daycare center door now right beside her and noticed the bright red fire extinguisher that was attached the wall beside it. In one hard yank, she ripped it away from its hinges and reared it back behind her. When the infected person was nearly upon her, she swung it directly at its face. As she smashed it against its nose and cheek, she heard bones crunching and breaking beneath the metal casing. The monster went flying onto its back beside her and onto the linoleum floor from the impact. She immediately brought the extinguisher in the air above her head and slammed it down onto its head repeatedly.

"Fucking die already!" she screamed in her rush of adrenaline and desperation. After the fifth connection to its forehead, it finally stopped moving. Nanoha dropped the blunt instrument and fell back against the wall beside her in exhaustion. She grabbed her security badge that was hanging by a lanyard around her neck and swiped it over the card reader outside the door of the daycare.

When the door clicked open, she stumbled through it and fell into the room. She scrambled to slam the itshu t behind her and then slid down to the ground with her back against it. She turned her head and saw the daycare workers huddled with the kids in the corner of the room. At some point during her journey downstairs, the attendants had leaned a table against the wall to block the view inside from the window.

"Nanoha! I'm so glad it's you!" one of the workers cried out in relief. She stood up to walk over to her with her cellphone in her hand.

"Mama! Mama!" Vivio cried out from the group of children and started running towards her.

"Don't touch Mama right now, Vivio," Nanoha warned breathlessly. "I have bad stuff all over me."

The attendant intercepted Vivio in time before she could tackle her mother. "Nanoha, look at what the news is saying," she said as she pointed her cellphone screen in her direction. Nanoha grabbed it from her hand and scrolled through all the breaking news alerts. She saw the word 'rabies' appearing repeatedly throughout the feed.

The kids all screamed in unison when loud banging commenced against the front door that Nanoha was currently leaning against. She knew it was just a matter of time before the things broke it down and killed everyone in the room.

"Rabies, rabies, rabies..." she muttered softly to herself as she scanned the room for something helpful in the situation. She soon spotted the security keypad on the wall across the room from her.

"What do we do, Nanoha?!" the attendant asked desperately as she looked between the children and the door that was about to come off its hinges.

Nanoha raced over to the keypad and found a button that she hoped would be their savior. When she entered in a few security codes and selected all the floors at once, the sprinkler system in the entire building turned on. The children screamed again at the unexpected shower, while the banging on the door immediately ceased as water started pouring out from the ceiling.

"How did that work?!" the now soaking wet worker asked loudly.

"People with rabies are hydrophobic!" Nanoha yelled back and was met with a confused expression. "They don't like water!" she then clarified.

"Oh! Well, that's good to know! So what do we do now?!"

"We get everyone down to the basement and wait for help to arrive!" she told her. Nanoha ran over to the door to peak outside into the hallway. She confirmed her water theory correct as she watched the last of the rabid individuals scurry away to leave the building.

The adults rounded the children up in a group to lead them down the hall to the basement stairs. Nanoha nearly fainted when they turned a corner and found two military men dressed in full combat gear now pointing their assault rifles at the group. Screams erupted from the children again at the unexpected sight.

"Nanoha Takamachi?!" one asked her loudly over the noise of the children and the gushing sprinklers overhead.

"Yes?! That's me?" she shouted back.

The man pointed above him. "You need to come with us! There is a helicopter on the roof waiting for you!"

Nanoha glanced over at the children and the attendants. She then picked up Vivio to carry her in her arms. "Why just me?! What about everyone else?" she asked.

"They said you're the expert on what's happening outside! Come on, we have no time! We'll have to come back for the others later!"

"You promise you will come back for them?!" she pleaded with him. He didn't respond to her request and instead turned towards the stairwell with his assault rifle still drawn in front of him with the other man close behind.

"Go save everyone, Nanoha! We'll be fine here!" the daycare worker shouted to her.

Nanoha closed her eyes and nodded before she turned away to catch up with her unexpected military escorts. She and Vivio followed them up the stairs and onto the roof. They were greeted by a loud helicopter waiting for them with a female military officer standing in front of it. The woman's neatly pressed brown Marine uniform with her perfectly sculpted blond hair was in stark contrast to Nanoha's soaking wet condition.

"I'm Major Carim Gracia!" the woman said to her over the roar of the spinning blades. Nanoha shook her hand and then followed her inside the passenger area of the helicopter. She first secured Vivio in one of the seats before strapping herself in. The two armed guards soon followed them inside and began to buckle themselves in next.

"Where are we going?!" Nanoha asked as they started to lift off.

"To the military base on the edge of town! Captain Hayate Yagami is expecting you there!"

Nanoha looked down at the mental health institute across the street from the research laboratory. She knew Patients 9 and 10 were currently being housed there during their rehabilitation in rooms 306 and 400. She swallowed back bitter tears as the helicopter turned away and she lost sight of the building completely.

"Good luck, guys..." she whispered desperately to them.

* * *

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

The sound of the ball bouncing repeatedly on the linoleum floor echoed in Teana's ears as she tried to take inventory of the various weapons in front of her. Ginga was switching between dribbling a basketball and kicking a soccer ball in the next aisle over as a way to occupy her time for the past twenty minutes. Subaru had opted to take a shower first before helping Teana collect the new weapons for the trip.

Finally fed up, Teana slammed the rifle case shut and walked over to the next aisle. She knew that she was doing exactly what Ginga wanted her to do, but the jarring noises were causing her a headache between the stress and annoyance of it all.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Teana asked her.

Ginga shrugged at her. "Like what? You're the boss. You have to tell me what to do."

Subaru's horrible singing suddenly rang out from the back of the store where the emergency shower was. Teana squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. "How did I get stuck with you two...?"

"Well, I'll can help with the food supplies if you don't want me around here?" Ginga suggested.

"Not a chance. I know what you're trying to do with Fate and it's not going to happen."

"Ah, I didn't realize you had a thing for her, Teana?" she said with a smirk.

"You don't know shit about any of us, Ginga. And I don't know if you think you are being clever and that you will get what you want if you just push everyone's buttons enough. It's not going to work this time, though. I'm not going to let you take advantage of Fate like that." Teana turned her back on the devious woman to leave.

"I'm just going to find out everything from Subaru, you know?" Ginga threatened her. When she saw Teana stop short at the end of the aisle, she began to approach her again.

"Do you only think about yourself, Ginga? Are you really that pathetic?" Teana asked when she heard the woman coming closer to her.

"I know you think I'm this horrible person. I'm not, Teana. Maybe I do have a real interest in knowing more about her?"

"If you actually were able to care about what's best for Fate, you would just leave her alone and let her be with Nanoha," she replied. Teana tried to ignore the slight clenching of her stomach with her own statement, knowing that in a way she was speaking of her own final conclusion she had come to regarding her ex-fiancee.

"Nanoha, huh?" Ginga repeated. "And you think Nanoha is good enough for Fate. Is that it?"

Teana finally spun around to face Ginga. Her bright blue eyes flashed in anger at her. "How are you going to pass judgment on someone that you just met?! Who the fuck do you think you are, exactly?"

"I'm someone who knows Nanoha a lot better than you do, apparently," Ginga replied. Teana studied the woman in front of her closely. She thought she caught a glimpse of pain hidden beneath the defiant hazel eyes, but she couldn't tell if it was just another act or not.

"Wait, did you know Nanoha before - ?"

"Ah, that felt great!" Subaru's voice suddenly yelled out from behind Teana. She flinched and spun around to see Subaru approaching them in a set of clean clothes. She was rubbing her short blue dry with a clean towel she had found in the housewares section.

"You shouldn't be singing like that, Subaru. If we had missed any zombies in here they would have been all over you," Teana scolded.

"She was in the shower. They wouldn't have been able to get to her. They hate water," Ginga said.

"How do you know something like that?" Teana asked skeptically.

Ginga met her eyes steadily. "Someone who knew a lot about rabies once told me that a long time ago."

"Oh, are you talking about that woman you used to date a while back?" Subaru asked. "Ah crap, I forgot her name now. But man, you were so in love with her! You really thought she was the one when you would talk about her."

"Yeah, that's the one," Ginga replied and looked away to the ground. "That was the past though, Subaru. There is no need to bring it up anymore."

"But she used you! She made it seem like she wanted to be with you. But when her husband found out, she went back to him - "

"Okay, that's enough!" Ginga suddenly shouted. Teana watched in disbelief as the calculating woman began to unravel right in front of her eyes. Ginga was now clenching her fists at her sides until her knuckles turned white and squeezing her eyes shut, as if willing herself to block the memory. Teana knew then that it was no act. She really had known Nanoha in the past, and she had been hurt badly by her.

"I'm sorry, Ginga," Subaru said with an embarrassed smile. "I won't talk about it anymore. I didn't mean that."

"It's okay," she replied quietly, which allowed a moment of awkward silence to fall between the three.

Teana cleared her throat and looked around the store for something else to do to ease the tension between everyone. She soon noticed black orbs hanging from the ceiling above them, which she guessed were security cameras.

"Hey guys, do you think there are security cameras outside of the store?" Teana asked them.

Ginga looked up at Teana gratefully for the change in subject, although she was a little surprised she didn't press the issue about Nanoha. "Yeah, places like this are like Fort Knox," she replied. "A lot of people would come here just to steal things. The security guards would follow them through the store with the cameras all the way to the parking lot to get their license plates."

"And were you a thief back then, too? Is that how you know all this?" Teana asked her. The jab was met with an icy glare in return.

"No,I wasn't, Teana. I've just worked in shitty places like this all my life," she replied heatedly.

Teana groaned. "Sorry... Alright, would you know where the security office is then? I want to see out into the parking lot."

Ginga turned and started heading towards the rear of the store with Teana and Subaru following behind her. "It should be next to the break room. So, are you looking for the cars we will be taking out of town?"

"Cars?" Teana asked. "I was only planning on taking one."

"It's your funeral, I guess," Ginga said with a casual shrug. "Although, I guess that would make it mine too."

"Why would we take more than one car?" Subaru asked.

"Well, what happens if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere? Or it gets attacked by a mob and then you're all dead? Or you run out of gas? Or - "

"Okay, we got it!" Teana interrupted. "Jesus, we will take two cars!"

Ginga led the two to a closed office door in the back of the store. Teana grimaced when she realized she and Subaru hadn't noticed this door or the break room earlier when they were clearing the store. For the first time since the whole zombie thing began, she had let her guard down not once but twice now. She turned around and glared at Subaru directly.

"W-What, Tea?" she asked her nervously when she noticed her fiery gaze pointed in her direction.

"Stop distracting me, Subaru!" she yelled.

Subaru glanced between her sister and Teana in confusion. Ginga tried to suppress a laugh as she grasped what must have occurred based on Teana's flustered reaction between the unchecked areas and then her sister.

"And just _how_ did she distract you, Teana?" Ginga teased.

Teana drew her weapon. "Shut up, Ginga..." she seethed. Subaru raised the baseball bat she was carrying with her to her shoulder again when she saw Teana arm herself, although she was still racking her brain as to what she had done wrong in the situation.

Ginga stepped out of the way to allow the other two to clear the rooms. Teana chose to check the break room first. She knocked loudly on the door and then pressed her ear to it to listen for any reaction. When she heard nothing, she reached down to the gold knob and turned it. The door swung open to the inside to an empty break room. Teana walked inside and checked all the corners to ensure there were no infected beings in it.

"Next one," Teana said to Subaru. They repeated the process and found no zombies in the security office either. Along one wall of the room were small black and white screens that broadcast live feeds from all around the interior and exterior of the store.

They first looked for the feed that showed Fate's group in one of the food aisles. Vivio had apparently woken up from her nap and was now walking hand in hand with Nanoha, with Arf following behind them. Fate was carrying an open backpack in the front of the group and collecting provisions for everyone.

The three watched the screen as Fate first picked up a small box of food that Nanoha had pointed to. Nanoha stopped her before she could put it in the bag and gave her further instructions. Fate opened up the box, dumped the wrapped contents inside, and then threw the empty container on the ground. The same process repeated with a box full of juice containers next, with Nanoha again giving her patient instructions to discard the box to save room. It happened again a third time with another box.

Teana watched Ginga's reaction to the scene carefully, although she was not able to read the woman's expression at all when she saw what was happening. After the fourth repeated process between Fate and the boxes, Ginga finally turned to her.

"Why doesn't she remember?" she asked.

"She will, eventually. It just takes her a bit longer than the rest of us to get it is all," Teana replied.

Subaru turned her vision away from that screen and found the ones that broadcast the feeds from the parking lot instead. She started scanning for the cars that would be easiest to hotwire, but would also prove to be practical in their situation.

"Why is she like that?" Ginga pressed.

"Now is not the time to explain everything to you. Just don't use it against her or we will have serious problems between us."

"Yeah, I got that already, Teana," she replied defensively. "You don't have to keep reminding me."

"Hey guys, what about this one?" Subaru asked as she pointed to one of the screens that showed the front parking lot. Teana and Ginga walked over the few feet to stand behind her. Subaru was pointing to an older model Winnebago that was parked on the far side of the lot. The large 'W' logo on its side stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Oh my god, it's hideous!" Teana said as she recoiled in horror. "And I bet it smells terrible inside!"

"What? Why would it smell bad?" Ginga asked.

"It's old as shit! At least from the 80's. It's probably all moldy and gross. And imagine all the old food that has been rotting inside it for the past three months."

"It would be a place for us to sleep, though? I doubt we are going to make wherever we need to go in one day," Ginga countered.

Teana silently relented in agreement to the suggestion, although she wasn't about to let on that she had just yet. "What else have you found, Subaru?" she asked.

"How about this Jeep with the hard top?" she suggested next. Teana noted a older model Jeep Wrangler with custom mud tires sitting closer to the building in the screen.

"Will it eat up a lot of gas?" she asked as she eyed the large tires.

"Maybe? But we are going to be going up a mountain, right? That thing has four-wheel drive. We might need it."

"Any chance of a hoard being able to pull that hard top off?" Ginga asked.

"I doubt it. Although we may want to consider reinforcing it somehow," Subaru replied.

Before the three could continue to discuss the feasibility of the Jeep, Teana noticed movement in the corner of her eye coming from the rear of the store on one of the screens. She leaned in closer when she saw a zombie that had once been a child about Vivio's age approaching the building. It turned its attention to the air-conditioner unit the group had originally used to get on top of the building. Ginga and Subaru both leaned over to look at the screen behind her.

"God, I hate that," Ginga said sadly. "It's always the worst when they're... kids..." she trailed off. They watched the child climb up on top of the air-conditioner and stare at the ledge calmly, as if trying to figure out a way into the store. They all realized instantly that the little girl was not infected at all.

"Oh fuck, she's not one of them!" Teana screamed and ran out of the office with Ginga and Subaru close behind. "We need to get outside now!"

"There's an emergency exit by automotive!" Subaru shouted. The three sprinted towards the section and spotted the exit. Teana drew her gun first right outside of the door and gripped the aluminum bar in her hand.

Ginga stopped beside her and held her hand out to her sister. "Give me your gun and go get the others! We will come back through the roof!"

Subaru glanced over at Teana nervously after her sister's directive. Teana gripped the handle of the door tighter. "Do it, Subaru!" she instructed through gritted teeth. She knew she was putting herself at risk with the split-second decision, but she also knew that she would need probably need someone who could handle a gun in this emergency situation.

Ginga took the gun from Subaru's holster under her arm before she could react. "Let's go!" she yelled. The two flew out the door and Subaru could immediately hear gunfire erupt outside the walls. She ran back into the store in the direction where she had last seen Nanoha and Fate.

"Do you hear that, Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked her as she nervously looked towards the other end of the store. "It almost sounds like gunshots outside?"

"Yeah, I hear it..." Fate replied as she tried to listen closer. She looked down at her thigh when she felt Vivio now clinging to her leg in fear. She dropped the backpack in her hand and picked the little girl up to hold her against her.

"Nanoha?! Fate?!" the two heard Subaru yelling in a panic from a few aisles over.

"Over here!" Nanoha shouted back. She met Fate's alarmed eyes and the two raced over to one of the center aisles to meet up with her.

Subaru came running towards their group breathlessly. "They went... outside...!"

"Calm down, Subaru," Nanoha said, although she felt anything but calm herself at the moment. "What's going on?"

"There was... a little girl... outside!" she gasped. "They are...coming back... through the roof!"

Fate handed Vivio off to Nanoha. "What do we do?" she asked her.

"Go find a ladder that is tall enough to reach the catwalk up there!" Nanoha replied.

"Let's check the hardware section!" Subaru suggested. She immediately started running towards the other side of the store with Fate jogging close behind.

Nanoha turned her attention to the hatch still open at the top of the warehouse as the two ran away from her. She clung to Vivio desperately as she pictured a little girl standing alone outside. The mere thought of her daughter in the same situation was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She couldn't imagine how someone so young could have possibly survived this long without adults.

"What's going on, Mama?" Vivio asked.

"They are trying to help someone right now, Vivio. There's nothing to be afraid of," Nanoha assured her.

Subaru and Fate raced into the aisle where the store kept power tools and other building materials. They quickly spotted the ladders for sale along the back wall.

"That one!" Subaru shouted as she pointed to the sign that read '_24 ft. Aluminum Extension Ladder_'. She and Fate maneuvered it out of the racks and began carrying it across the store, one of them positioned on each end. They jogged over to the spot under the hatch and started pulling the ladder in opposite directions to extend it. When it reached its maximum length, they both worked together to lean it on the narrow catwalk above them.

"It just barely makes it. We should test it out," Fate mentioned as she looked above to the roof.

"I'll do it," Subaru volunteered. "You just hold it steady down here."

About halfway up the ladder, Subaru looked down and realized just how high up off the ground she actually was. She had always been afraid of heights and tended to avoid ladders due to her clumsy ways, although she knew now was not the time to allow her insecurities to get the best of her. She realized every second was now crucial as she climbed higher on the ladder to reach the narrow catwalk above. She pulled herself onto it and began crawling the few remaining feet to the hatch towards the middle of the store.

"Do you see them?" Fate asked from the floor as Subaru climbed up the second ladder to look through the hatch.

"No! I'm going out onto the roof to check and see what's going on!" she yelled back. Fate watched Subaru disappear through the hatch. Nanoha soon walked up beside her with Vivio still in her arms and Arf trailing behind. She instructed the dog to lay down out of the way for now.

"Nothing yet?" Nanoha asked her.

"No," Fate answered. "But Teana will be okay. She always is."

"She went out there with Ginga, though. That's what I'm more concerned about."

"Ginga? Who's that again?" Fate asked. Nanoha could see clearly on Fate's face that she did not recollect the woman in the slightest.

"You don't remember what happened in the bathroom about half an hour ago, Fate-chan?"

"Um... not really?" she replied hesitantly. "The last thing I remember is Vivio walking up and us going to get the food."

Nanoha paused in the conversation as she tried to connect the dots regarding Fate's memory loss and the reasoning behind it. Fate didn't remember when they had been chased by the hoard of zombies the night before up the fire escape, nor the incident with Ginga where she had the gun pressed to her throat as a hostage. She wasn't an expert on mental health conditions, but she certainly knew enough of the effects on memory through her research to come to a tentative conclusion.

"Anterograde amnesia," Nanoha muttered to herself.

"What was that, Nanoha?"

"I think you forget things that happened recently, especially if they were emotionally traumatic for you," she replied.

"Oh..." Fate said and then paused as she considered what the words could mean. She then glanced up at Nanoha in alarm once she pieced things together. "Wait, should I be worried about this Ginga person?" she asked.

Nanoha sighed in frustration at the dilemma she was now up against. She had to make a decision of whether she would tell Fate the truth about Ginga and what had happened in the bathroom, or make an attempt to maintain peace in the group and not disclose the woman's previous actions. She probably would have just told Fate everything if she hadn't witnessed the genuine concern Ginga had for her sister and Vivio firsthand. And the fact that she was outside right now risking her life to save a little girl was enough for her to consider giving her one more chance.

"No, I don't think you have to worry about her, Fate-chan," Nanoha finally said after coming to her decision. "In fact, she's Subaru's sister. She wouldn't do anything bad to us."

Fate smiled. "She's her sister? That's great!"

"Um-hmm! It's... great," Nanoha responded with a forced smile. She was then about to ask if she had remembered when she had kissed Fate on the cheek earlier when Subaru popped her head back in through the hatch.

"They're coming back!" she shouted excitedly at them. Nanoha gave a thumbs up to her. Subaru pulled away from the hatch and ran back over to edge of the roof to assist them.

Teana held the little aqua-haired girl up above her head from the ledge that she and Ginga were now standing on. Ginga was leaned back against the wall as she attempted to catch her breath. Teana could feel her arms and legs shaking from the five minutes of running and evading they had just endured.

"I can't... believe... we made it!" Teana said once the girl was secured on the roof. A few zombies where still running their way towards the air-conditioner in the rear lot to attack them. She pulled her gun from her holster and shot a few of them in the head. She then leaned back against the wall and allowed Ginga to take out the rest with her gun.

"I think we ran around the parking lot three times?" Ginga mentioned once they had both finally recovered a little. "She was getting heavy after a while!"

"I have never been chased so much as I have since I met your sister," Teana told Ginga. Subaru laughed a little from above them on the roof.

"Sorry, Tea!"

"Well, let's get back inside," Ginga then suggested. She and Teana both worked as a team with Subaru to get back up onto the roof. Once Ginga had made on top again, the little girl ran over to hug her tightly around the waist. She bent down to look at her directly and smiled when she saw just how nervous the girl was. She noticed she was wearing a filthy t-shirt that looked two sizes two small with jeans to match, along with a pair of very worn out sneakers. It took her a moment to realize the girl had heterochromia, with one blue and one purple eye.

"You know, you were really brave out there. What's your name, baby?" she asked her.

The girl only looked away to the ground at first in response. She then unexpectedly threw her arms around Ginga's neck, causing her to fall backwards a little. After using her arm to brace herself, she recovered and then stood up with the girl still clinging fiercely to her neck.

"O-Oh, okay! That's fine. We will just talk more inside," Ginga said. The girl nodded in response against her shoulder.

"We have a ladder set up so we can climb down from the catwalk. It's safe, I checked," Subaru added.

Subaru climbed down through the hatch first and made her way back down the ladder, reminding herself the entire time not to look down. Teana was next down once Subaru had made it onto the floor below. Ginga hugged the little girl close to her one more time to reassure her.

"I want you to close your eyes and hold on tight, okay? Don't let go," she said. The girl nodded again in acknowledgment.

The trip down each rung of the hatch ladder was taken slowly. Ginga only had one free arm to balance them as she used her other to support the girl against her. She then carefully crawled along the catwalk before turning her body onto the ladder. Teana and Subaru both made sure it was as secure as possible at the base while she began to slowly descend down the rungs.

Nanoha watched the scene with her heart pounding in her chest from below. Vivio was eyeing the little girl coming down the ladder in Ginga's arms. "Who are they, Mama?" she asked.

"That's Ginga. We aren't sure who the girl is yet, though," she replied.

Vivio turned around to talk into her mother's ear in confidence. "Do you think she will be my friend?" she whispered.

"We will have to ask her if she wants to, okay?" Nanoha whispered back. Vivio pulled away and nodded seriously at her mother. Nanoha smiled and nodded back at her.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when Ginga finally made it to the base of the ladder and onto the floor. Fate and Subaru worked as a team to removed the ladder from the catwalk, just in case any unwanted visitors were able to make it onto the roof. Teana took the gun from Ginga's hand and returned it to Subaru.

"Okay, I'm going to put you down now," Ginga told her as she bent over so that her little feet could touch the floor. She had to laugh when she wouldn't remove her arms from her around her neck. She eventually just pulled her back up to carry her again. "Okay, maybe I won't put you down after all?"

Nanoha walked over to where Ginga was standing. "Thank you for saving her, Ginga," she told her quietly enough so that only she could hear. "You now have a second chance to prove you aren't a worthless piece of shit. Don't screw this up, alright?"

"W-Wait, what? What the hell does that even mean, Nanoha?" Ginga asked angrily. Before she could say anything else, the rest of the group crowded around them.

"I'm so glad you could save her!" Fate said with a genuine smile. "I'm sorry if we've met before and I don't remember. I'm Fate."

Ginga first glanced at Nanoha in confusion. Sapphire eyes narrowed at her in response and willed her to play along. She then looked over at Teana and Subaru. Teana groaned and looked away in frustration once she realized that Fate didn't remember what happened earlier in the bathroom. Subaru understood that Fate didn't remember meeting Ginga but opted to say nothing.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Ginga," she finally replied. "I'm not sure who this little one is, though. She seems like she is in shock and won't talk to me."

"Fate-chan, she is wearing something around her neck," Nanoha mentioned.

Fate looked down and noticed the stained cloth that was hanging around the girl's neck. She soon realized that whatever was attached at the end must be tucked under her shirt. She carefully removed what turned out to be a lanyard with a badge attached at the end. She turned it over to Nanoha to inspect.

"Maybe her parents just died or something?" Teana ventured. "There is no way she could have survived on her own this long."

"Well, she has a few scratches," Fate said as she started looking over the girl. "No bites, obviously."

"She pretty thin. She probably could use something to eat. Maybe a bath and some fresh clothes after," Ginga added.

Nanoha clutched the badge in her hand tightly in sheer disbelief. It was worn and dirty, but she recognized the logo on it from anywhere. The physical characteristics of the aqua-haired girl screamed out at her now that she knew where she had come from.

"Patient 9...? It's impossible..." she whispered. She flipped the badge over in her hand and found the barely readable name on the back of the card.

"What did you just say, Nanoha?" Teana asked. She noticed that the color from the woman's face had drained away completely.

"Einhart Stratos," Nanoha read the name aloud from the back of the badge. "I'm pretty sure she was the ninth patient to have survived rabies. Fate-chan was the tenth."

Ginga would have dropped Einhart from her arms in shock had the little girl not been clinging to her so tightly. Everyone else froze in place as the weight and enormity of what Nanoha had just said sunk in.

"Does she look familiar, Fate?" Teana finally asked.

Fate shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't recognize her."

"What are the odds of it, huh?!" Subaru said cheerfully.

"There's more to this..." Nanoha mused. "Einhart, would you like to come with me and Vivio so that we can talk?"

Einhart shook her head furiously and clung tighter to Ginga. Teana glanced through the hatch in the roof and realized that they were using up valuable daylight at that point. She made a decision that she knew might not go over well but would be necessary for everyone involved.

"Ginga, you go with Nanoha and Fate so that she can talk to Einhart while you guys gather the food."

"Looks like I'm on 'Team Mom' now, huh?" Ginga said with a smirk. Nanoha turned her head to glare at her outside of Fate's vision.

"Subaru and I will get the rest of the stuff from the other side of the store. But we really need to pick up the pace. Let's meet back at that exit in automotive soon. We will work on loading the cars next."

Nanoha looked down at her watch. "Okay, Teana. We will do what we can."

Ginga turned around and started talking towards the food aisles. "Sounds like we'd better get started. Are you coming, Fate?" she asked her directly with a smile. She then motioned with her head as a request for Fate to come with her.

"Oh... right. Come on, Arf," Fate said and started walking in Ginga's direction. The collie rose from her spot to follow after her new owner.

"Mama, I have to use the bathroom," Vivio suddenly mentioned. She squirmed against her hip as if to prove how badly she needed to go.

"God damnit..." Nanoha muttered under her breath. "Okay, sweetie. We will go use the restroom and then head back over with Fate-chan, okay?"

"Okay," she replied.

"Was that such a good idea, Tea? Putting them all together like that?" Subaru asked as the two started their journey to the other side of the store.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm pretty sure Ginga is attracted to Fate now, too. It could cause problems"

Teana shrugged. "She will just have to get over it. We have work to do."

Subaru stopped them completely in the aisle and shook her head. "No way. I know my sister. She won't give up if she wants something bad enough. She takes what she wants, when she wants it. That's what she always says."

"What am I supposed to do, Subaru? I still think Fate should be with Nanoha."

"Well, yeah but... Maybe Ginga deserves a chance as well? She's a good person. She deserves to be happy."

Teana gave her a sarcastic look. "So... what? Fate should be with both of them or something? Is that what you think?"

Subaru looked up to the left, as if actually considering the feasibility of the suggestion. Teana ground her teeth and attempted to slap her on the back of the head a few times. "You are such an idiot, Subaru!" she screamed at her. Subaru was able to evade her blows and ran down the aisle away from her.

"Well, I'm not going to try to stop Ginga if she goes after Fate. I like Nanoha too, but my sister comes first." Subaru gave her one last shrug before running ahead towards the sporting goods section of the store.

Teana turned her head to the ceiling and closed her eyes in frustration. She then groaned loudly when she considered how much more stressful her life had become in less than twenty-four hours.

"_The zombies were a hell of lot easier to deal with than this..._" she said to herself.


End file.
